



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 


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THE SCOFFER 


A MODERN MIRACLE PLAY 

BASED UPON 

SCIENTIFIC CHRISTIAN HEAUNG 


BY 

CHARLES FREDERICK CARLSON 

ifi 



Divine Love shall destroy all Human Sin, and 
cure all Sickness and Disease of Mortal Man. 

) 

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> ) ) 

PUBLISHED BY 

THE EASTWOOD-KIRCHNER PRINTING COMPANY 
DENVER, COLORADO 


C ^ ^ ^ 


Copyrighted 1911 as a Dramatic Composition 

BY 

CHARLES FREDERICK CARLSON 

ALL RIGHTS OF PRODUCTION RESERVED, 
INCLUDING EIGHTS OF TRANSLATION. 


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rOCLD 3 4 317 


The next literary work, now in 
preparation, by the Composer- Author of 
this play will be The Antagonizer, a 
modern morality play. 

The Composer- Author, Charles Fred- 
erick Carlson, has lately become famous 
throughout the music-loving world by his 
many beautiful songs, published by Breit- 
kopf and Hartel. He is the composer, and 
author oif their librettos, of three grand 
operas — music dramas. Phelias, in one 
act, is published. 

For the production of The Scoffer, 
which is to be produced in the near future, 
the Composer-Author has written sym- 
phonic music. 


Publisher. 


The Composer-Author of this Play ack- 
nowledges indebtedness to the writings 
and teachings of Mary Baker Eddy. 


The sole aim and purpose of this play is 
to turn men's thoughts toward the Spir- 
itual. To show that because Jesus was 
crucified, Christ is not dead. That man 
can escape the bondage of error and be 
free. That unless we are born again — 
gain spiritual understanding — we cannot 
enter the kingdom of heaven. Its mission 
is to teach us to be absent from the carnal 
mind and present with the spiritual. That 
man moves and has his being in God. 
And, that if God be for us, who can be 
against us? 


The Composer-Author. 


The stage settings of this play should be 
so arranged and the lighting effects so op- 
erated that the entrances and exits of the 
characters of personification would appear 

to be from space. 


I 


THE SCOFFER 

(A Modern Miracle Play) 


A DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS 

BY 

CHARLES FREDERICK CARLSON 


CHARACTERS 
Dr. Lincoln, The Scoffer 

Angela^ Student of Scientific Christian healing, 
and betrothed to the doctor. 

Freeman, assistant to the doctor 
William, younger brother of the doctor 
Mary, secretary to Angela 
Anna, a maid 

Mr. and Mrs. Keith, patients 

Mrs. John and Rosa^ her daughter, patients. 

Nurses, Doctors and Assistants 


8 


CHARACTERS 


CHARACTERS PERSONIFYING 

Sickness, Disease, Death, Sin, Error, Faith, 
Spiritual - Understanding, Life, Truth, 
Love. Love's Spiritual Thoughts, (children) 
(in tableau), God's Ideas and Reflection, 
(man) (in tableau) 


DELINEATION OF CHARACTERS 

Dr. Lincoln : Firm, tenacious, irritable, but with 
an undercurrent of kindness and love 

Angela : A beautiful and spiritual type of woman; 
without thought of self; devoted to Divine- 
healing, 

Freeman : A plain young man 

William: Thoughtful, deeply meditative and 

spiritual, 

Mary 

Mr. and Mrs. Keith 

Mrs. John 

Anna 


>- Plain people 


CHARACTERS 


9 


CHARACTERS OF PERSONIFICATION 

Mortal-Mind Characters 

Error: A gaunt figure, medium tall; dressed in 
somber; wiry limbs, long arms, clinched fists; 
dark, evil expression 

Sin : A maiden dressed in red, sensuously ; bare 
arms, low neck, black hair; smiling, coquettish 
expression 

Sickness: Thin, shriveled and pale. Fainting con- 
suming attitude. Dressed in a yellowish-brown 
robe, a one-piece garment; hands and feet in- 
visible. 

Disease: Thin and ghastly ^ sallow face, sunken 
eyes, hollow cheeks. Mouth always open; gasp- 
ing and convulsive attitude. Dressed in a yellow 
robe, a one-piece garment, hands and feet in- 
visible. 

Death : Black mantle covering body; veil over 

head and shoulders; skeleton face and bony neck 
visible 

Divine-Mind Characters 

Faith : Dressed in light gray, intermingled with a 
silver sheen; head partly hooded with white veil 


lO 


CHARACTERS 


Spiritual - Understanding : Dressed in white 

gown, and white mantle, intermingled with 
golden sheen; white band around forehead; head 
is hooded with long white veil fastened under 
chin; veil hangs over shoulders and trails down 
back 

Life (below medium height) 

Truth (about medium height) 

Love (little above medium) 

Three maidens. Dressed in pure white silk 
gozvns, with girdles of silk cord and tassels. Life 
has a band-crown of silver. Truth has a band- 
crown of silver and gold. Love has a band-crown 
of silver^ gold and jewels 

Love's Spiritual Thoughts: Children robed in 
pure wLite, and adorned with flowers 

God's Ideas and Reflection (Man) : Men and 
zvomen, young and old, robed in pure white; their 
heads are adorned zvith leaf-crozms 


SYNOPSIS OF SCENES 


Act I : The office of Dr. Lincoln 

Act II : A room in the house of Angela 

Act III : Private ward in a hospital 

Act IV : Drawing room and balcony in the house 
of Angela 



ACT I 























PROLOGUES 

Representing Mortal Mind Darkness 


PROLOGUE TO ACT I 

Scene : A dark place before a high, irregular wall. 
Through the center of the zvall a dull red glow 
penetrates. As the curtain rises a deep moan is 
heard dying off into a low rumble, during which 
indistinct figures are seen to move before the 
glow. The characters in each Prologue speak in 
a distinct but fearful, brooding tone of voice. 


i6 


PROLOGUE 


[act I 


Death. 

Come, Sin, thou pretty maid. Report to me, what 
success ? 

Sin comes to the center. 

Ah, you are warm. That you may be more hot 
with temptation, drink this. 

Dips into the glow. 

Sin. 

As she drinks. 

Ah! 

Sighs. 

I steam, I glow. Listen, master. A doctor with 
whom I have spent many fruitful hours is ready for 
you. He has often resolved do cast me off. But 
he is prepared for you, if Sickness and Disease have 
done their allotted work. 

Death. 

Ah, eh! Aye! Good! Sin, you are hot and puls- 
ing. But, hang on him longer until you are certain. 

Sin. 

In a swooning tone she disappears. 

Ah! 


ACT l] 


PROLOGUE 


Death. 



Come, Sickness, you fainting, trembling thing. 
Here. 

Dips into the glow. 

Drink this. Rare germs gathered for you. 

Sickness drinks, gasping and hissing. 

What have you done to this doctor? 


Sickness. 

I sit in his liver and lungs, and have swollen his 
kidneys. 

Death. 

Replenished and dilated with fresh germs, wreath- 
ing and fuming, go and sit longer, until you are 
firmly rooted. 

Sickness disappears, gasping and hissing. 

Come, Disease, inflamed and swollen, drink this 
(dips into the glow) fresh ulceration (Disease ap- 
pears) and revive. 


Oh! 


Disease. 


Moaning and drinking. 
Oh! Hoo! Hoo! 


1 8 PROLOGUE [act 3 

Death. 

And this doctor? 

Disease. 

I’ve inflamed him so his ulcers ooze and ooze. You 
should come for him at once. 

Continues to drink eagerly. 

Death. 

Go to him, quick! You run over and drip. Eh, 
how rich you are with ulceration! 

Disease disappears^ groaning zmth delight. 

Death. 

Come, Error, my pet. Ah! Here {dips into the 
glow), drink for your splendid hate. 

Error comes forward in haste. 

Error. 

I 

Hm ! Hm ! Oh, the taste of it ! 

Drinks, gidping. 

Ugh ! it bites ! 

Death. 

This doctor? 


ACT l] 


PROLOGUE 


19 


Error. 

So long have I filled him with irritation he almost 
goes beyond meanness. Ah! he can scoflf. Truth, 
and all good, stand far off. He is yours ! 

Death. 

Ah ! Eh 1 Aye 1 My heritage, my rich fee. I am 
the final triumph of man. I am that man might be. 
That I am, man is sure to die. Beyond the grave 
am I, for I am the grave. And you that serve me, 
I created in a single thought. I, though carnal, 
though mortal, am final. My thoughts become fixed 
laws. You are my laws. 

Sin. 

We enroll. 


We control. 


Error. 


We abide. 


Sickness. 


Disease. 


Undenied. 


20 


PROLOGUE 


[act I 


Death. 

Ah ! for hear the law : 

Man was born through Sin’s desire. 

He lives a thief, he dies a liar, 

Beyond himself he can’t aspire. 

And so, in me, he does expire. 

Come away! Even now I hear him call. Without 
us he is lonesome. 

Sin. 

Being called 

Error. 

We are install’d 

Sickness. 

When we gain them 

Disease. 

Then we claim them. 

Error. 

I make man go wrong ; man makes me grow strong. 

I 

Death. 

Come all ! Come ! into light, come ! 

The scene changes at once to Act I. 


ACT I 


Scene: The office of Dr. Lincoln. A divided 

room. On the right a consultation room. On 
the left a zvaiting room. A door connects the 
rooms. The zvaiting room has a door at the 
back, in the center, the upper part of zvhich is 
glass. On the left there is a zvindozv. On the 
right a leather davenport. In the center, to the 
left, there is a table and chair. On the table, 
books and periodicals. 

In the consultation room, to the back, there is a 
large double zvindozv looking out on a court and 
office buildings in the distance. In the rear, on 
the rights in the corner, a door leads to a labora- 
tory. On the left there is a large zvriting desk 
and office chair. In the center a large table and 
chair. On the right a book case filled zvith books. 
The zvalls are hung zvith landscapes and pictures 
of great medical scientists. 

\ 

As the curtain rises, a female patient is seated in 
the zvaiting room, on the right, szvaying back- 
zvard and forzvard, holding her side in pain. At 


22 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


her feet, a basket of groceries and some toys; 
among the toys a jumping jack. Another female 
patient enters with a little girl, and is seated on 
the left. The child, healthy in appearance, looks 
over the books and periodicals on the table. 

Mrs. Keith. 

First Patient. 

On the right, painfully. 

No use to wait longer, I guess. 

Mrs. John. 

Second Patient. 

Is the doctor not in? 

Mrs. Keith. 

Seems like it. 

Mrs. John. 

What does the time card say, there on the door? 

Goes to the door on the right and looks at the card. 

Back at three. 

Returns to her seat, scrutinizing the room carefully. 

Mrs. Keith. 

I came at three. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


23 


Mrs. John. 

Well, I suppose we must have patience. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Patience ! That's all Fve had these past ten years, 
is patience! If patience is a virtue, Fm next to 
being an angel. 

Rubbing her side and rocking back and forth, 
moaning. 

My poor side ! Oh, my poor side 1 My kingdom 
for relief, I say. 

Sickness appears. Sickness speaks in a hissing, 
gasping tone of voice. 

Mrs. John. 

What ails you, may I ask? 

Sickness. 

I am Sickness ! Sickness 1 Man believes in me, 

Mrs. Keith. 

Heaven knows! That's what I came to find out. 
Seems as though I can't find out. 


Pleurisy? 


Mrs. Tohn. 


24 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Mrs. Keith. 

Pleurisy? Worse, much worse, heavens! Ah, the 
kingdom of heaven, it seems as though we're only 
born to suffer, suffer! 

Error enters. Error speaks, while grinding its 
teeth, in a hateful tone of voice. 

Error. 

I am Error. Man is on my side. I teach man. 

Mrs. John. 

I had a neighbor. We were school girls together. 
She had pleurisy. Anyway, that is what she be- 
gan with, only it turned to something worse. Just 
think, that might be your case, poor soul ! Mercy, 
how she suffered ! Poor Anna, she is dead now. 
Yes, it finally killed her. 

After a pause. 

I have often thought I had heart failure. 


Error. 

I teach man to err. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Thought you had it? Heavens, don't you know? 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


25 


Mrs. John. 

I should not have it. None of our family ever had. 
Nor our ancestors. 


Error. 

When Eve conquered, I desert. I always desert. 

Sickness. 

Then I come. 

Ip- 

Disease enters. Disease speaks with a groan and 
in an agonized tone of voice. 

Mrs. Keith. 

If you had what ails me, you’d know. Lord! 
Lord ! 

Sways back and forth, muttering to herself. 

Disease. 

Then I come. 

Mrs. John. 

Well, this friend of mine tried everything. Tried 
magnetic healing, even. But it was of no avail. 
Nothing did her any good. Medicine had long 
since failed in her case. Why, she was even mes- 
merized. 


26 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Error. 

Man I rule; man I fool. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Bah ! That was enough to kill her. My husband 
wants me to try some kind of new healing, divine 
healing they call it, I guess. Ah, what's religion 
got to do with a person's health? Oh, heavens, 
why don't the doctor come? 

Mrs. John. 

I was with her when she died 

Sickness. 

So was I. Ah ! 

Mrs. John. 

My, how she did suffer! The same night she died 
a neighbor across the street died. He had cancers 
of the stomach. But he deserved to die; he drank 
himself to death. But, as I was saying, she prayed 
and prayed to heaven to be taken away. She asked 
God, screaming, to take her and not let her suffer. 

Disease. 

I taught her to scream. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


27 


Mrs. Keith. 

Better if she’d asked Him to save her. But God 
don’t take people just because they ask Him. He’s 
no respecter of persons. 

Mrs. John. 

I shall never forget that night as long as I live. 
Oh, how she suffered! Rocked and swayed, just 
like you are doing. I nearly had hysteria. I think 
that is the cause of my alarm about my heart. 

Mrs. Keith. 

That’s what you are here for, to see about your 
heart ? 

Mrs. John. 

Oh, no, not that. I don’t believe in giving in en- 
tirely. Not until I have to, anyway. 

Mrs. Keith. 

You look sallow enough. 

Mrs. John. 

Not hearing her. 

No, indeed ! It is this poor, dear child. Poor, 
little, weak thing. 


28 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


First patient looks at her steadily. 

No, no, it is not I who am sick. 

Disease. 

I am Disease. I belong to the flesh. 

Mrs. Keith. 

You look yellow enough. 

Mrs. John. 

Well, I can see that you are weak and suffer. What 
blood you must have. Those dark circles under 
your eyes are telling. 

The child goes in front of the table and plays with 
the toys. 

They are certainly signs of 

As the child makes' the jumping- jack go up and 
down and laughs heartily. 

Child ! ' Child ! 

Rushes to the child, brings her back to the table 
again and seats her. 

You must not exert yourself so. You know what 
weak lungs you have. Dear, dear, how you will 
be coughing in a minute! Now stay right by my 


THE SCOFFER 


ACT l] 



side and remain quiet. Yes, I am afraid she has 
consumption. In fact, I know she has. 


Child. 

Oh, Mamma ! Mamma thinks I am sick, and I am 
not, either. I 

The mother interrupting the child. 


Now, dearie! 


Mrs. John. 


Mrs. Keith. 

What, sick? With those red cheeks? 


Mrs. John. 

Oh, dear, that is fever. She gets quite feverish. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Well, she looks well enough. 

Disease. 

I, Disease, am everywhere. I consume. 

Mrs. John. 

Oh, dear, no, she is so delicate. It is hereditary, 
you know. Her father’s mother died with com 


30 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


sumption. His grandfather died of hemorrhages. 
Yes, indeed. But Doctor Lincoln, you know he 
is so great, we feel sure he can cure her. Nothing 
like faith, you know. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Ha, faith ! The Bible speaks of faith. That might 
have been all right for the ancients. She might 
outgrow it. 


Mrs. John. 

Ah, a thing that is hereditary, you know. 

The child goes to the open zvindow. 

Rosa, dear, come away from the draught. 

The child returns, reluctantly. 

But then, under the care of such a great physician 
as Dr. Lincoln 


Sickness. 

I am Sickness, ever present. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Oh, dear, dear, dear, I can't stand it. I can't en- 
dure it. If he doesn't come now I'll have to go to 


ACT i] THE SCOFFER 31 

some one else. I canT stand it. I can't! My 
pains I My back 1 My side ! 

Rocks backward and forward. 

Mrs. John. 

You poor, sick thing. My, how I feel for you! 
My, I wonder if you can last long! 

Mrs. Keith. 

Motioning her to be still. 

God help us! 

Sickness. 

Why are they appall'd when I am call'd? 

Mrs. John. 

Not heeding her. 

Take my advice and go on with Dr. Lincoln. They 
say he is the best in 

The Doctor enters the considtation room from the 
laboratory and goes to his desk. 

Why, I believe some one is in there. Perhaps the 
doctor. 

Mrs. Keith. 

He has been in there all the time. 


32 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Mrs. John. 

You poor, sick thing. Dear, you look like death 
itself. 

Sickness. 

I am Sickness, ever present. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Aside, groaning and moaning. 

Oh, the devil ! Misery loves company, sure enough. 
Turning to Mrs. John. 

Yes, thaCs the way with these doctors. One can 
suffer and suffer while they take their time and 

Continues conversation with Mrs. John. 

Doctor. 

Calling to his assistant. 

Freeman, kindly unpack this box. 

Taking up a small box and returning to the labora^- 
tory. 

In the Doctor's voice there is a ring of dejection. 

Mrs. John. 

Yes, that is the doctor. Dr. Lincoln. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


33 


Mrs. Keith. 

He has been treating me for months. 

Sickness. 

I am Sickness. You believe in me, you can’t help it. 
Sickness ! Aye, sickness unto disease and death ! 

Mrs. John. 

Poor thing, you do look like death itself. But can’t 
you find out what ails you? 

Mrs. Keith. 

Oh, yes, a thousand things. He gives me some 
kind of pills, that is, he gives them to my husband 
to bring home. He most always comes for them. 
They do me some good, I guess. This is only the 
second time I’ve been out of the house for months 
and months. Seems like ages. Heaven help me, I 
wasn’t out of the house for two years after I was 
married, and after my first baby, I 

The Doctor and his assistant enter the consultation 
room,' 


Disease. 


Disease and Sickness, we labour not in vain. 


34 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Doctor. 

Just wait a moment, Freeman. 

Crosses to the door leading to the zvaiting room, 

I want you to stop on your way back and get that 
new compound. I got a notice about it yesterday. 

Opens the door. 

Oh, come in, Mrs. Keith. I have been so busy. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Entering the consultation room. 

Yes, Doctor, and Eve been suffering so. 

Doctor. 

Too bad, but I have your medicine all ready for you. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Good, Doctor. 

Doctor. 

Your husband 'phoned that you would be down, so 
I prepared what I thought you needed. 

Sickness remains by the door, looking in. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


35 


Sickness. 

I am Sickness, you can't get rid of me. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Doctor, do you think I will ever be cured? I 

Disease. 

Once you name me you cannot blame me. 

Doctor. 

There, there! Just have patience and everything 
will come out all right. 

Hands her a bottle of pills as he goes into the wait- 
ing room. 

Sickness. 

I came into the world with man. I belong to you. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Patience, patience! Ever since the 

Doctor. 

To Mrs. John. 

Come in, please; come in. 


36 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Mrs. Keith. 

As she goes into the waiting room. 
Good-bye, doctor, I 


Doctor. 

Let me know how you get along, and I will 

Mrs. Keith. 

Doctor, I am going to wait a minute here. Tm 
meeting my husband in a half hour. 

Doctor. 

As she closes the door. 

Be seated, and be comfortable. 

Sickness crouches in the considtation room. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Resuming her seat. 

Be comfortable ! Ah, yes, yes, yes. I guess my 
back was made for the burden. 

Disease crouches in the zvaiting room. 

Doctor. 

And what is your trouble ? 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


37 


Mrs. John. 

It is not me, Doctor. 

Doctor looks surprised. 

But this poor, sick child, whose lungs are so weak. 

Doctor. 

Looking at the child, then the mother. 

Indeed ! 


Mrs. John. 

Yes. 

The child coughs naturally. 

Oh, my dear, do be careful to not strain yourself. 

Sickness. 

Sickness am I. An ever present misery ! 

Doctor. 

Seating himself at the desk. 

Come here, my dear. Stand right there and we 
shall soon see. 

To the mother. 

Look at those cheeks ! Be seated, please. 


38 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


I make man die. 


Disease. 


Mrs. John. 

The character, Sickness, moves forward in her di- 
rection. 

She is so feverish, Doctor. The red in her cheeks 
is fever 


Doctor. 

Ah, the kind of fever — red and fever — one finds in 
ripe, red apples and peaches, believe me. 

The mother looks on anxiously as she seats her- 
self by the table. 

The Doctor arranges the child before him, looking 
her over thoroughly. He places a thermometer 
under her tongue, then takes a lung-tester from 
a drawer in the desk and tests her lungs. 

Mrs. Keith. 

In the eonsultation room, moving uneasily. The 
character Siekness goes close to her. 

Dear, dear, I felt sick enough before I came in 
here, but since Tve talked to that wretched woman 
I could die on this seat. I do believe some people 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


39 


breed sickness. Old idiot. I look like death, do I ? 
Well, heaven help her! If she is not a consumptive 
I am already dead. She is trying to poke it off on 
her child. Old coward, with her pity ! 

Doctor. 

Looking at the child with pity and at the mother 
zvith disgust. 

There’s nothing the matter with this little beauty. 

Mrs. John. 

With a startled expression. 

Why, Doctor, surely 

Sickness moans and hisses. 

Doctor. 

My dear lady, this is a perfect specimen of human 
health. God has been good to you. Here, take 
her and thank heaven you were mistaken. 

Mrs. John. 

The character Disease hanging close around her. 
But, Doctor, surely she is 


40 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Doctor. 

Perfectly well. 

Disease groans and gurgles. 

Mrs. Keith. 

Why, several doctors have told 

Doctor. 

You falsely, if they told you this child is not per- 
fectly well. Why, if I had such health, myself, I 
would consider myself the richest, freest, happiest 
man who walks the earth. 

Mrs*. Keith. 

But really. Doctor, she has always been so 

Sickness disappears. 


Doctor. 

As the mother and child exit. 

Perfectly well, I can assure you. Pardon, me, 
please, but believe me. 


Doctor, I 


Mrs. Keith. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


41 


Doctor. 

Good-bye, and — 

To the child. 

Good bye, my dear. 

They exit. 

Ah, the dear child threw me a kiss. 

Relaxing. 

Oh, how I envy those who possess unspeakable 
health. But, it will not last long. She will, like the 
rest, succumb to the ills of the flesh and sooner or 
later be on the market for medicine and the knife. 

As he turns to re-enter the consultation room Mrs. 
Keith rises to go. 

There you are, you see. 

To Mrs. Keith. Pointing in the direction of the 
mother and child. 

The well want to be sick and the sick want to be 
well. 

Mrs. Keith. 

As she exits Disease hangs close around her. 

Good bye. Doctor. 

The Doctor returns to the consultation room and 
sinks into a chair, as tho' exhausted. 


42 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


I knew that child wasn’t sick. 

Holding her side, painfidly, 

I feel worse since I talked to that wretched woman. 
Exits. All the characters become invisible. 

Freeman. 

Entering from the laboratory. 

You said something about a compound. 

Doctor. 

Three characters, Sickness, Disease, Error, reappear 
and group themselves around him. 

Yes, yes, get them — but let the matter go until later. 
Go directly to the Richards, and if that baby’s fever 
is as high as when we left, wrap it in cracked ice. 
But you cannot spend much time there. After that, 
go to the Governor’s house and whatever you do, 
keep his mother alive until he arrives. He is to 
arrive on the five-ten, so the telegram reads. She 
will die before morning, anyway, so use your wits. 
You must help me. Freeman, today more than ever. 
I — I am all undone. I am half under, sinking, 
sinking. Something must happen soon 

Death enters and comes forzmrd. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


43 


Man I swindle. 


Error. 


Freeman. 

Your own medicine doesn’t seem to help you much. 


Sickness. 

Disease I kindle. 

Doctor. 


Well ! 


Disease. 

Death prosper I. 

Freeman. 
Why don’t you try another’s? 


Death. 

I make man die. They that call me a lie ; I defy ! 


Doctor. 

In a sadj dejected tone. 

Could another’s do more? 

Somezvht irritated. 

Medicine is medicine ! Leave it to me, Freeman, I 
will be all right; I shan’t worry. We know how to 
fix it, don’t Ave? 


44 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Freeman takes up his medicine case and exits. 
The Doctor goes to the cabinet and, flinging it 
open, impatiently, takes out some pills. Count- 
ing out some he swallows them with difficulty. 

The character. Error, appears near him, making 
a snarling sound hetzveen its teeth. 

Eh, anything the devil could make would not taste 

worse ! 

He turns and comes forward wearily, running his 
Ungers through his hair, nervously. 

I am sick and diseased. Yes, and sinful. 

As tho' entirely exhausted he seats himself. 

Sickness. 

I, Sickness, tear down ; once pronounced, never de- 
nounced. 


Doctor. 

My sins have come upon me. 

Sickness draws near him, clinging about his limbs. 
Sickness is sapping me. 

Disease comes to him slozvly, and also clings to 
him. 

Disease is consuming me. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


45 


Disease. 

I, Disease, consume. 

Doctor. 

Death approaches him from behind. Death speaks, 
cracking his teeth, in a nasal dead tone of voice. 

Death hovers about me, chilling me. Disease, in- 
curable disease ! Killing me, killing me ! Death, 
nothing left but death. Sickness, from morning 
until night, all around me, and in me. Moaning 
and pain, despair and death ! 

Death. 

Man, flesh, bones and blood belong to me. 

Doctor. 

Despair, the dying and the dead. Half the world 
is sick, the other half is getting sick. Half the 
world is dying, the other half already dead. The 
whole world is steeped in folly. Craving, desiring 
and consuming. One great mad rush to tickle the 
senses. The five senses. Five doors that lead 
down, down and down. While the sick die the liv- 
ing become sick. Oh, irony, thou gall stone! Ah, 
I am sick! 

Sickness hugs close to him, moaning. 


[act I 


46 THE SCOFFER 

Only a living dead thing. 

Disease presses close to him, groaning. 

What is life after all but a wading through blood, 
flesh and bones? And when we get through, a 
great dumping pile : a heap of nothing. 

Takes down a mirror from the desk and looks at 
himself. 

Oh, man that sins; nothing else can. You have 
sinned, don’t try to deny it. 


Error. 

I, Error, am a trapper. 

Doctor. 

You have sinned and become sick. And in becom- 
ing sick you have sinned two-fold. What hope is 
there, what redress? All medical science can do 
has been done for me. Angela speaks of faith. Let 
me not lose faith in medicine. In the wondrous 
science of combinations which almost seem life it- 
self. But faith. Bah ! Faith is sentimentality. 

Rising and stretching out his arms, longingly. 

Oh, for the health I once had. That happy perfect 
health; and I, still aspire to the hand of Angela. 
But Angela does not want me, not now. She is 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


47 


lost in sentiment. I shall never understand Angela. 
She will not understand me. Ah, had I my health, 
glorious, glowing health ! Oh, where is the health 
that was once mine? Defiant, beaming, glowing, 
radiating forth from me like sunbeams? Health, 
flashing like sun-rays with the fire of hot life? 

Sadly and dejected as he drops into his chair again. 

Where is it now? Who stole it from me? 

Drops his head. 

Error. 

I gave it to Sickness. 

Doctor. 

Wasted, all wasted. 


Sickness. 

I gave it to Disease. 


Doctor. 

The characters hug him close. 

Nothing now but the fire of sickness; the cancer of 
disease. The grasp of death gripping me. 

Death lays his hands upon him. 

His bony jaws devouring me, consuming me. 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


48 

Rises to his feet, breathing heavily. 

Choking me ! Ah ! Away with it all. Away with 
the horror of it all. And yet, what’s to die? We 
were born; why not also die? Since we were born 
we die, and perhaps because we die we are born. 
In the hereafter — a veil of darkness — we shall not 
long for eyes; there will be nothing to see. In the 
hereafter a condition, perhaps a place, deaf and 
mute we shall not desire to speak, there will be 
nothing to say. Surely we will not suffer. For 
having lost the parts that suffer we will be rid of 
suffering. If we suffer in the unknown whence we 
are hurled, why go there? Why not remain here 
and suffer ? Let me forget. Let me forget and be 
free. 

M oaning with pain and gasping for breath he drops 
into the chair beside the table. 

Disease. 

I have your health ; it belongs to me. 

Doctor. 

Oh, if there is a God hear me ! 

The characters, trembling, draw close to him and 
almost hang on him. 


49 


ACT i] THE SCOFFER 

Ah, shall I grow sentimental? 

Laughs hysterically. 

Am I a child? Who am I to cry and whine? I, 
who have reached the topmost rung. I, who have 
all but put life into inanimate things. I, who have 
made discoveries that have startled the world. I, 
who have made men gray with envy. I 

Freeman enters and goes to the desk zvhere he sets 
his medicine case, then goes to the Doctor and 
hands him a package. 

Freeman. 

The compound. 


Doctor. 

Leave it there. 

Pointing to the desk. 

Thank you. 

Freeman. 

The child is out of danger. 

Doctor. 

His head resting between his hands. 
And the Governor's mother? 


50 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Freeman. 

Is no more. 

Exits into the laboratory. The characters moan 
and groan zvith satisfaction. 

Doctor. 

Looking into space. 

And so it goes. Life to life. Sickness to sickness. 
Death to death. Nothing then, but darkness. For- 
ever darkness. 

Sinks down on the table, moaning. 

Sickness. 

Blood is mine to swim in. 

Disease. 

Flesh is mine to sit enthroned upon. 

Death. 

All my rich fee. All my rich harvest. 

Freeman. 

Unzvrapping a package as he enters. 

Doctor, I have something I want to tell you. 

Stuffs the wrapper into the zvaste basket. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


51 


Doctor. 

Raising his head slowly. 

That is news, indeed. 

Freeman. 

Something I have wanted to tell you before, and 
now I will do it, and have it done with. 

Places a bottle of Kentucky whiskey on top of the 
desk. 


Doctor. 

Settling back in his chair with effort. 
Well ? 


Freeman. 

I am going to give up medicine and study surgery 
and devote my life to it. 

Doctor. 

Wonderful! And? 


Freeman. 

Well, I have decided, fully, that medicine is a spec- 
ulation, and 


52 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Doctor. 

You say that? 

Bringing his hst dozvn upon the table with a crash. 

Error. 

So do I assert myself. A master asserts himself ! 

Freeman. 

And can never be anything else. 

Doctor. 

Error comes between them, looking straight ahead. 

You, who have but learned the difference between 
water and acid, compared with 

Freeman. 

What I ought to know, but do not intend to waste 
my time learning. 

Doctor. 

You! Fool, novice, bigot! You say that medi- 
cine is a speculation. 

Laughs ironically. 

Freeman. 

I have a right to my opinion, my decision ; right or 
wrong. My opinion is 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


53 


Doctor. 

Heated, excited and trembling. 

Your folly! Your decision! Your opinion! You 
flout the science of medicine, the work and toil 
of hundreds of years. Yes, thousands of years. 
The discoveries of all the great minds of science 
who have given their lives, their souls tO' unravel 
the hidden mysteries of creation; to unhide the hid- 
den truths of medicine for the benefit of mankind. 
Oh, you Daniel come to judgment! You come to 
me and tell me this, your opinion! Your decision! 
I do not censure you for changing to something 
you like better, or perhaps have more talent for; 
but for your opinion! Your wondrous decision! 
Surgery is noble. Surgery is necessary; but your 
opinion! Medicine is a speculation? You, who 
have worked by my side; learned of the wonders 
of materia medica, say this ; you who have seen me 
heal the sick, cure the dying and — yes, raise the 
dead. You say this is speculation. You! You 
boy! You whom I taught scientific truths, you 
would never otherwise have learned in a life-time. 
You, to whom I proved it with mathematical cer- 
tainty, say this! You, whose eyes I opened wide 
be}^ond the vision of the optic nerve, and sent you 
to bed dreaming of the problem of life itself. You, 


54 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


who have beheld me all but put life into inanimate 
and senseless objects. Call it in return, speculation! 
What shall I say to you? What shall I do with 
you? You ingrate! 

Sinks into his chair. 

Error. 

To the other characters. 

* 

I become hot and pulsate with heat ; heat is friction ; 
mental friction is error. Behold me ! 

Freeman. 

I meant no offense to you, I 


Doctor. 

You do not offend me, you offend the world; but 
worse of all yourself. 

Freeman. 

Others have told you this, and 

Doctor. 

Fools have told me this. 

Error. 

Its face lighting up with an evil smile. 

Ah, I am master. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


55 


Freeman. 

Is your brother a fool ? 

Doctor. 

Rising quickly. 

Is he schooled ? What does he know ? What can 
he prove ? Is he a criterion to go by ? 

Freeman. 

He is wise in something. I do not know what it is, 
nor can I understand it. 

Doctor. 

He is wise in what he is foolish. Is any man wise 
in what he does not understand? 

Freeman. 

Therefore, I am wise to give up what I do not 
understand. Is that not a speculation which suc- 
ceeds today and fails tomorrow? Is that not a 
speculation in which we save two and lose ten? 
Where is your mathematical certainty? What is 
true that cannot be proven? 

Doctor. 

Go! 


56 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Freeman. 

Two years of ceaseless speculation, failure upon 
failure. 

Disease gives out a mocking groan. 


Go! 


Doctor. 


Freeman. 

Taking up his hat and gloves. 

\ 

You cannot help yourself. 

As he exits. 

But when medicine has failed the knife may not. 
Exits. 


Doctor. 

Go! You ingrate! I envy the energy I wasted on 
you. 

The characters hug him close. 

But let him go — a novice — young and foolish, in 
youth. 

Error. 


Aye, I pave the way well. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


57 


William. 

Entering through the waiting room, his right arm 
in a sling. 

Dear brother. 

All the characters, hut Error, settle dozvn for a 
moment. 

Doctor. 

In a kindly tone of voice. 

Why, William, what has happened? 

William. 

I fell and broke my arm. 

Doctor. 

When ? 

William speaks throughout in a tone of trust and 
confidence. 

William. 

This morning, early. 


Doctor. 

You seem cheerful about it. Who set it for you? 


58 THE SCOFFER [act i 

William. 

Oh, I set it myself, I have no pain. It will be healed 
in a few days. 

Doctor. 

Looking at him firmly. 

William, this is more of your new theory. This 
new fangle; this mind cure; this fad. 

William. 

Not fad, brother. 

Doctor. 

This sentimental absurdity for foolish old women, 
taught you by a class of idiots. 

William. 

Brother, you are always censuring me and scoffing. 
Have patience, if you do not understand. 

Doctor. 

You are wearing out my patience, William. 

William. 

Brother ! I 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


59 


Doctor. 

William, I have always hoped, yes, I could have 
even prayed, that you would some day fit yourself 
for the scientific world and become a great and 
useful man. This is what I have spent my money 
on you for, and for love of you, trusting you 
would choose a vocation that would prove you to be 
one of the greatest and best of men. 

Sitting erect zvith effort. 

Instead, I find you dabbling in down-right idiocy. 
Wasting your time in a sentimental spiritual fraud; 
spiritual rot — animal magnetism — imagination cure 
— self-delusion ! 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding appear and stand 
on Williamfs right and left. 

Faith. 

Faith is the light showing the way for the faithful. 

Spiritual-Understanding. 
Spiritual-Understanding is the path which leads to 
the Kingdom of Divine-Love. 

William. 

You are wrong, brother! 

It is the truth of 


6o 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Doctor. 

Risings the characters clinging to kirn, as Error 
■ comes forward, glaring fiercely. 

Be it of Christ, heaven or hell ! I demand that you 
give it up. 

Error. 

Aye ! Aye ! Aye ! Ah ! 

The other characters nod, to Error, pleased. 

William. 

Brother! By faith comes understanding; have 
faith until 


Doctor. 

Stop! Was it for this that I have laboured, toiled 
and struggled? Was it for this I took you out 
of 3^our dead mother’s arms; loved you like a 
brother; loved you as a father loves a son, even 
with greater love than a father’s? Was it for this 
I went cold and hungry to win my way in the 
world that I might bring you to manhood? No! 
God, no! Out upon your faith. Fie upon your 
senseless understanding, you self-deluded hot-head. 

William makes as though to plead with him. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


6i 


Do not try to explain, you cannot. Freeman, the 
bigot, just left me scorning me and insulting me. 
Now you come with a greater offense. You may 
go too. Returning only when you have come to 
your senses that God gave you to reason with. 
Go! 

William exits slowly from the consultation room. 
He pauses in the waiting room. 

Error. 

Ahj I the master am at hand. 

Doctor. 

Sinking down into his chair again. Error looks on 
with a gaping smile. 

Ah, what next? 

Dropping his head on his arms upon the table. 

What next? Oh, I am sick, I am diseased, I am 
dying, I am dead! 

The characters all give out a lozv deep moan of 
satisfaction. 

William. 

Was it for this? Was it for this? Yes, for this, 
and more, that Angela, knowing God, and I — I — 


62 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


trusting God and coming into understanding, shall 
help to lift him out of the arms of — not death, but 
error. I will go, but will come again. I shall see 
him come into the truth, God's truth, the heritage 
of all mankind. 

Exits. The scene darkens slowly. 

Doctor. 

Death comes behind him. Sickness and Disease 
come tip close to him, one on each side. 

Now I am alone with my misery. Alone with my 
pain, sickness and disease. Perhaps I am left to 
surgery. 

In an amused tone. 

What cutting and slashing they will do ! What 
carving they will have to do. There won’t be much 
of a man left when they have finished. May as 
well dedicate one’s self to the profession. Why 
not? It is all for the good of humanity. 

IVith an endeavor to console himself. 

My body is the kind they can learn from. Not 
healthy bodies, but sick, diseased bodies. 

In a melancholy tone. 


ACT I] THE SCOFFER 63 

Ah, I long to be well again. 

Rises with effort. 

I long to be well and free! To be healthy, that is 
the question. It is puzzling the world's brain. 

Goes to the desk and takes down the bottle of 
whiskey. 

My Kentucky friend sent me that, eh? A little 
medicine, and better than you can prescribe, he 
said. A huge joke! 

Goes to the cabinet and takes out a glass. 

Well, we will try it. 

Looks at it. 

I have tried it too often, that's the rub. I have 
cured many of the liquor habit. 

Pours a drink. 

But then, I never had the habit myself. 

Drinks. 

I can take it or leave it alone — certainly good 
liquor. A man has to drink, for friendship's sake : 
that is the trouble of belonging to so many clubs. 


Pours another drink. 


[act I 


64 THE SCOFFER 

I am alone, I will just rest, 

Returns to the table. 
and try to get a little ease. 

Drinks. 

Perhaps I might even sleep a little. 

Holds the bottle up, looking at it. 

Red as the devil’s blood. Often have I lost my 
griefs and pains in this. It can but help me to 
reach the end. We can’t go much farther, now. 

Death remains behind him. Error seats itself at 
the desk, watching him. The other characters 
sink dozm on the floor near him. 

Ah, 

As he relaxes. 

If Frances were here now. How she could drive 
away my sorrows. How she would soothe me and 
sing to me. But Frances is a doll. She is happi- 
ness personified, though. - 

Pours a drink. 

Though she is shallow she is pleasing. 

Drinks. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


6S 


Ah, but Angela! If ever a woman was made for 
man to worship, she is perfectly made. No, Angela 
is too saintly. I believe she has made up her mind 
she is going to conquer me. Angela is sentimental. 
But she is a scholar. Angela is learned. She 
thinks I need to be conquered. Angela is beautiful. 

Error stares at him. 

No use to think of wedded bliss. 

Sickness and Disease rise up around him, the scene 
darkens. 

The untimely end is not far off. 

Pours more liquor. Error goes near him. 

I have done my best. 

A glow of copper green surrounds the group. 

In doing that, I have done good. Done good by 
everybody but myself. Yes, by everybody but my- 
self. Ah, 

Drinks. 

But why wail and moan ? Why complain and 
whine ? 

Rousing himself. 

Ah, my blood grows warm again. My veins fill up 
and swell. I tingle all over. 


66 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Error 

To the other charaeters. 

You see, I am the master teacher. I instruct. Ah, 
my instruction is man’s destruction. 

Doctor 

The liquor begins to daze him. 

r 

And what if it is unnatural ? It is good to be numb, 
and relax. Surely, surely I have had my share of 
pleasure. My share of success. Earthly joy, and 
physical bliss. And I am paying for it, too. What 
a man can do is what the world needs. What I 
have done the world needs. And what if we shuf- 
fle off this mortal coil? 

Pouring more liquor. 

For it is true, that man can only for mankind do. 
Eh, I grow morbid. 

Drinks. 

Oh, joy and life, love and health, return to me. 
Return and tempt me. 

Beeoming more dazed. 

Sin appears and comes dozen to him^ caressing, kiss- 
ing and soothing him. 


ACT l] 


THE SCOFFER 


67 


Sin. 

In a szuooning, slo'W, seductive tone of voice. 

Once you drink of me you cannot shrink from me. 
Often have you fallen into my arms. Often shall 
you fall again. Man came into the world by me. 
I love him, he loves me. I am pleasure. I teach 
him to be happy. But he must pay for the teaching. 
Ah, I am warm, I bring bliss. You said you were 
going to throw me off. You have not yet, ah! 
But I have neighbors hanging round, they will 
keep you bound. 


Sickness. 

Though he drink to drown me, he cannot down 
me. 


Disease. 

I am well pleased, when he is appeased. 

Error. 

I prepare the way. 


Later, I shall slay. 


Death. 


68 


THE SCOFFER 


[act I 


Doctor. 

In a slow, pleasing tone. 

Oh, ye stupids who have lived in long-faced piety, 
passing up the world's delights, and from these un- 
tasted thrills gone to your graves. Graves, graves ! 
Gone, gone, gone, ' to your graves ! 

The glare surrounding them grows red gradually. 
The characters look up at him, glaring. 

Oh, how I live again. 

Sin sits upon his lap, zvinding her arms around him, 
kissing and soothing him seductively. 

Now consuming love o'erwhelms me. 

% 

Laying hack his head. 

I live but for a day ; tomorrow I die. 

In a dreaming tone. 

Medicine, a speculation. Ha, ha, mind cure ! Surg- 
ery! Oh, they will come for me soon. Oh, love 
that soars to the heights of ecstacy. 

The glozv grozm ghastly as the curtain falls, 
slowly. 

Oh, Angela, let me not — e’er I — I — am cold. 
Relaxes, dazed. Curtain. 


END OF ACT I. 


ACT II 


I 


PROLOGUE TO ACT II. 


Scene.* A dark place. In the center there is a 
throne, surrounded by a dull red glow. As the 
curtain rises a distant rumble is heard which dies 
away, gradually. At first the glow is very didl, 
and as it brightens, slowly. Death is revealed 
upon the throne, a sceptre of bone in hand. 


72 


PROLOGUE 


[act II 


Death. 

Error, come before me, you stumbling block, that 
you may revive. 

Error appears. 

I sent you into the world to prepare the way. 


Error. 

Prepared it is, master, with thorns and thistles, pit- 
falls and crooked ways that lead here. 

Death. 

A keen trapper, indeed, you. Sit at my feet. Sin, 
pretty shame, here before me. 

Sin appears^ smiling. 

You I sent to light the way with a false glare, to 
tempt them like children to burn their fingers. Into 
the world I sent you. Sin. 

Sin. 

The way, like a great boulevard glistens, master, 
with temptation at white heat. Oh, how they, tast- 
ing, gloat and fall. 


ACT II] 


PROLOGUE 


73 


Death. 

Sit before me at my feet. You are original, for by 
you man came into the world. By me he goes out. 
Sickness, here then, I sent you into the world to 
pave the way. 

Sickness appears. 

Come, swollen and yellow. 

Sickness. 

The way, itself, is sick, so well have I heeded my 
master. They no more than mention me by name 
until I have made my claim upon them. 

Death. 

Sit at my feet, then. Well, Disease, I wait for you. 
You bursting boil, come out. 

Disease appears. 

I sent you into the world to stand in the way. 

Disease. 

Master, the way is mire and muck. They wade 
until up to their necks they sink. What could be 
more to your liking? All who pass me I besmear. 


74 


PROLOGUE 


[act II 


Death. 

Then I, who am the way, swear by my sceptre that 
failure is not yet born. Revived, you all pulse and 
glow. 

Clouds of vapor arise in the glowing red. 

See, all around us lost souls in a never-ending strug- 
gle. Come, prepare, we know a doctor, away. I 
have a fondness for doctors. I have built them a 
house upon the sand, wherein they study a principle 
divided against itself. That which kills I have 
lured them to believe will cure. Come, I will show 
you how they divide their problems all by nothing. 
Come, now, into the light. Into light ! 

The scene changes at once to Act II. 


ACT II 


Scene: A study in the house of Angela. A plain 
but neatly furnished room^ showing taste and 
rehnenient. In the center ^ at the rearj there is a 
large bay window, zvith a door on each side. On 
the right center a door. On the left center a 
mantel. In the center, a little to the left, a study 
table with shaded lamp, books and papers. On 
the right, in the center there is a> settee. As the 
curtain rises Angela is standing by the study 
table. A gentleman, hat in hand, is just taking 
his leave. 

9 


Mr. Keith. 

Passing so near by I was tempted to call in a mo- 
ment and tell you of Mrs. Keith's wonderful im- 
provement. It seems almost a miracle. 

Angela. 

Miracles, Mr. Keith, ma}^ happen today as in former 
times. That they do not occur more often is from 
lack of faith in God ; from lack of understanding of 
divine good. When we know our relationship to 
God nothing, which is good, shall be impossible. 


;6 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Mr. Keith. 

I have never had much faith in such things, and 
little or no understanding. But I thank God I be- 
gin to see differently. The demonstration in my 
own home has set me to thinking. Surely I can no 
longer doubt. Oh, it is good to see her looking so 
well again. What a changed woman she is since 
you have treated her. Since she discontinued all 
medicine and we opened our doors to God's truth 
she is again young, and the smiles that used to 
lighten her face have returned. It has made a new 
man of me. I had seen her suffer so much I had 
almost become desperate. 

As he crosses to the door. 

I shall tell her you will give her a treatment, an 
absent treatment, I believe you said. 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding appear in the 
room standing together in the rear. A bright 
ray surrounds them. 

Angela. 

Yes, absent treatment is correct. For God — ever 
present Love, knows of no limitation, distance or 
space. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


77 


Mr. Keith. 

Mind healing, divine mind healing. A scientific 
Christian truth. It seems quite beyond me, yet — 
and still I do not doubt. The proof of it in my 
own home is sufficient. 

Angela. 

Though one doubt, though one disbelieve, still it is 
true. How absurd it would be for one to disbelieve 
that one could speak through a telephone. It is a 
scientific truth, is it not? 

Mr. Keith. 

Indeed. 

Angela. 

So it is with the science of God's truth. Unde- 
niable, demonstrable. 

Mr. Keith. 

Indeed I am convinced. We shall spend much 
time reading, learning, and understanding that 
which God has sent into our home, blessing it. 

As he exits, 

I thank you for the books and papers you sent. 
Good day. 


78 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Angela. 

Good day, call soon, both of you. 
Goes to the table, opening letters. 

William. 

Enters with his arm in a sling. 
Good morning, Angela. 


Angela. 

Good morning, William. 

T liming. 

And your arm? 

William. 

Taking his arm out of the sling and bending and 
straightening it carefidly. 

Ah, Angela, wonderful! 

Angela. 

You have had a beautiful demonstration, William. 

William. 

You have demonstrated. That was Mr. Keith I 
met as I came up the walk, was it not ? 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


79 


Angela. 

Yes, William, that was he, 

William. 

I met Mrs. Keith yesterday. Another success of 
your worthy efforts. Oh, if father and mother could 
have lived to know the truth. If Robert could 
know. If he only would know. If he would only 
try. If he were willing! 

Placing his arm in the sling again. 

Nothing less than marvelous, Angela. Oh, how I 
thank God I came into this truth, and for what it 
has done for me. My being radiates with thanks- 
giving and gratitude. Let me be constant and 
faithful. 

Angela. 

To be thankful is to be blessed ; to be blessed is to 
be healed; to be healed is to be saved. In being 
saved we come into the kingdom of good. 

William. 

Going around to the left by the table where he sits. 
The kingdom of good, Angela. Ah, yes, man’s 
heritage, man’s destiny. 


8o 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Angela. 

What news of brother Robert? 

William. 

Day before yesterday I called at his office. What 
a temper he was in, and how he censured me. He 
still scoffs, as usual. Scoffs as all do who do not 
understand. 

Angela. 

Scoffers often become adherents. Often the truest 
and best converts. Yes, even disciples of what 
once they scoffed at. 

William. 

Would to God he were one. He scorns anything 
pertaining to religion. He calls it sentiment, and 
told me I must give up my creed, my cult. Worse 
than dogma, he called it. I tried to show him he 
was unjust, unfair and to prove to him the science 
and truth of what he so underestimates. Finally 
he ordered me out. But I understand him, per- 
fectly. 

Angela. 

You must not antagonize, William. Antagonism 
is the spirit of error. We must not err. It accom- 
plishes nothing but friction, and sickness. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


8i 


William. 

Oh, I did not mean to antagonize. 

» 

t 

Angela. 

Loving your brother, William, you must help him. 
Often he has come to my house storming, but left it 
subdued. 

William. 

That you are conquering him, the error in him, has 
wounded his pride. 

Angela. 

He is the most loving of men. 

William. 

The best brother in all the world. 

Angela. 

I received a letter from him this morning. He is 
coming here today. 

William. 

Yesterday I called at his office, again, and found 
a notice on the door that he has discontinued prac- 
tice for a time. I stopped in the drug store around 


82 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


the corner from his office to get the material for 
this sling, and overheard the clerks discussing him. 
One clerk said, ‘‘Dr. Lincoln looks like a dead 
one.'' If he would only listen to reason. The 
world acknowledges him to be a wonderful man, 
having accomplished marvels for his profession. 

Angela. 

He has done much good for humanity. 

William. 

Loving him, you acknowledge it, Angela. 

V 

Angela. 

A man with the intelligence and soul that Robert 
possesses cannot turn deaf ears, always, to that 
which will yet bring him into the perfect under- 
standing, which in time will come to all mankind. 
The false cloak the outside world wears covers up 
the good within him. Still, the good is there, to be 
revealed. When the revelation comes we shall be- 
hold him, one with God. Though he comes into 
the awakening through suffering, it shall come. 

William. 

What faith you have, Angela. Yes, more, under- 
standing. It was this same beautiful thing in you 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


83 


which turned me from my foolish ways. Let me 
always be constant. But, Angela, if he could only 
get away from self. This was my first obstacle 
too. He is lost too much in self. Perhaps I have 
antagonized him at times. I shall never do it 
again. Oh, how I shall work for him, for I love 
him. He may not know it, perhaps he will, though. 

Angela. 

He will yet come into the truth. 

William. 

Angela, the seeds of good you sow, shall surely to 
flowers grow. 

Angela. 

That was pretty, William. 

William. 

It was an inspiration, Angela. 

The telephone in the adjoining room rings, 

Angela. 

You will excuse me, William, I will return in a 
moment. 

Exits into the room on the right. 


84 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


William. 

Bless Angela, she has been like a sister to me, al- 
ways. The only one I ever knew. She and Robert 
have been engaged a long time. I wpnder if they 
will ever marry ! There is a chasm between them. 
It must be bridged over, first. Love, God’s love, 
will do that. 

As Angela returns, he takes up his hat. 

I am going, Angela. I was to have been at Free- 
man’s house a half hour ago. 

Goes to the door. 

Good bye, sister, I used to call you sister. Good 
bye. 

Exits. 

Angela. 

Come often, William. 

Goes to the mantel adjusting a vase of flowers. 
The door bell rings. A maid comes from the 
room on the right. 

I am expecting Dr. Lincoln, Anna, if it is he show 
him in here. 

Maid exits. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


85 


Mary. 

Entering from the room on the right with type- 
written letters. 

If you will sign these letters. 

Angela. 

Sitting at the table. 

Oh, yes, Mary, I meant to sign them before. 

As she signs the letters Dr. Lincoln enters. He 
shozvs signs of suffering. 

You mail them, yourself, Mary, at once, please. 

She rises and goes to the doctor^ extending her 
hands. 

Good morning, Robert. 

Doctor. 

Gripping her hands, eagerly. 

Angela ! 

Angela. 

Your letter came on the first mail. I am glad you 
came. Be seated. 


Draws a chair from the table. 


86 


I'HE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Doctor. 

Weak and exhausted he seats himself ^ slowly, 
Angela, who was that pretty girl ? 

Angela. 

My new secretary. You see I need one constantly 
now. Giving so many absent treatments I must 
write many letters. 

Goes to the mantel and brings the flowers. 

Doctor. 

Aside. 

Absent treatments. More absence than treatment, 
I will wager. 

Looking at her steadily as she comes forward with 
the flowers. 

Angela grows more beautiful every year. 

Angela. 

Setting the flowers on the table. 

Your flowers came at breakfast time. 


Doctor. 

I intended they should. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 



Angela. 

They are beautiful. Flowers express good will, 
and love. 


Doctor. 

I intended that, too, Angela. 

Angela. 

Thank you, Robert. 

Doctor. 

Angela, I have been sending you flowers a long 
time. That is about all it has come to. 

Angela. 

I wanted to speak to you about William. 

Doctor. 

You show much more interest in my brother Wil- 
liam, Angela, than you do in his brother, Robert. 

Angela. 

Why, Robert, he seems like a brother. 

Doctor. 

But it is kind and sweet in you; and I? 


88 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Angela. 

Robert. 

She looks at him a moment , then seats herself on 
his right. 

His interests are my interests, your interests; our 
interests. 

Doctor. 

Our interests, Angela? 

Sickness appears behind him. 


Robert ! 


Angela. 


Doctor. 

Disease appearing behind him. 
Though I am a sick man 


Sickness. 

I am heir to the body of man. 

Disease. 

The flesh is my heritage, my throne. 


Why, Robert, I 


Angela. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


89 


Doctor. 

In a melancholy tone. 

Please listen, Angela. The foremost ambition of 
my life has been to make you my wife. 

She makes as though to speak, 

Angela, I have come to be serious, to be final. 

Angela. 

I thought we had thrashed that all out before. 

Doctor. 

Yes, until there was nothing but the chaff left, it 
seems. 

Angela. 

Where is the wheat then, Robert? 


Doctor. 

Is it made into bread? Is it in the oven, Angela? 
Angela, my ceaseless love for you has been the only 
power that has held me together. The only thing in 
the wide world that has 


She makes as tho' to speak. 


90 THE SCOFFER [act ii 

I know what you would say: physician heal thyself. 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding come on each 
side of Angela. 

Medicine has deserted me so far? Even the won- 
ders of my own discoveries have not helped me, 
tho’ they have help'd others. Still, I will not de- 
spair, tho' my future looks dark; for who knows 
what unexpected change may yet come. 

Angela. 

There is no darkness, except in the shadow of black 
thoTs, Robert. 

Doctor. 

Some compound, some mixture in the hands of an- 
other may yet work a miracle. Therefore, I go to 
the hospital tomorrow, giving myself up, freely, to 
men whose skill I could never doubt. When I re- 
cover and am well and strong again, Angela, I 
want to come and take you away from this senti- 
mental business and make you my wife. When 
we are married you will see things different. Now, 
there is a gulf between us. You will understand, 
then. 

Sickness. 

I am present ; Sickness ! I hear you call, I see you 
fall. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


91 


Angela. 

Robert, you are still reaching out for help from 
things material ; you still reach for help from medi- 
cine. But it has deserted you, this much you have 
admitted. It’s only reward is desertion. Speculate 
no longer. Place not your trust in false gods. 

Robert. 

That in which I speculate may yet prove to your 
utter amazement that I am not reaching out in vain. 
Your philosophy 

Angela. 

Science, Robert; true, demonstrable. 

Robert. 

Has taught you to condemn medicine 

Angela. 

We are free from the spirit of condemnation. It 
has no place in divine good. 

Doctor. 

In a troubled tone as Error appears. 

It has taught you to ignore the efforts of men; to 
almost spurn nature, itself. To turn your back 


92 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


upon the toils of generations of discoveries with- 
out which man would still be on a plane with the 
animal. To ignore the body, disdaining nature's 
handiwork, at the expense of what you call mind. 
Death appears. 

Is not the body mind, the expression of undeniable 
principle, nature in its glory? Is not the body a 
perfect organism, the expression of the universe? 
To me it is certain, it is sure. I conceive nothing 
as true beyond this. 


Death. 

Standing hetvaeen Sickness and Disease, a little to 
the rear. 

Nothing is certain but me. I am certain — I am 
sure. 


Angela. 

Robert, bones, flesh, blood — eighty per cent water, 
is not man in the image of God, mind ; man is one, 
inseparable from God. 

Doctor. 

All this has been said before, all this and more has 
been preached for a thousand years. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


93 


Angela. 

All this ! This and more will be preached for a 
thousand years to come. Robert, have faith and 
you will understand. We ignore nothing, but rec- 
ognize all that pertains to good. By faith comes 
understanding; by that, knowledge. 


Error. 

It was high time I came, to fan the flame. 

Robert. 

Angela ! You preach, forever preach. Ah {pain- 
fully), I am a sick man. 

Sickness hugs him close, 

Angela. 

Have faith, Robert, that God — divine love-— will 
make you whole. Have faith and nothing shall be 
impossible. God is your life. 

Sickness moves back. 

Robert. 

The world is full of sermons, Angela. Dry ser- 
mons; easier to preach than to live. You always 


94 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


preach, Angela. Your philosophy — you said sci- 
ence; well, no matter; it is good to be pious; per- 
haps sombre; serious, no doubt, but that is all. 

Angela. 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding kneel beside her. 

Robert, by faith 

Error approaches the doctor, trembling. 

Robert. 

Faith, Angela, is illusion. Hope, too, that is blind. 
They are neither practical. On this earth we must 
face stern realities. Angela, I am a sick man (pain- 
fidly), a diseased man. 

Disease. 

My fresh inflammations burn, burn ! 

Doctor. 

Ah, I am sick, sick, sick! 

Angela. 

Aside. 

Sickness is false ; unreal. God did not create it. 
Sickness sinks dozm, gasping. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


95 


Robert. 


But I shall be well again. All the truths of medi- 
cine, of my discoveries, too, shall be applied, reap- 
plied, and I shall be strong again. Nothing can 
fail. I shall be in great hands. 

Disease sinks down with a groan. 


Angela. 

Aside. - 

In God's hands. 

Robert. 


And I shall come to you. We shall be happy. You 
shall see a great change, the great test is coming. 


Angela. 

Aside, 

It has come. 

Robert. 

In a hopeful tone. 

They are preparing for me now, calling forth all 
their skill; all my skill. The wonders of it all shall 
be proven. You shall see me, Angela, a new man, 
I, who have all but put life into things inanimate. 
They shall put life into me. New life, Angela. Ah, 


96 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


I shall be well. The great science shall save me. I 
have harnessed it. It is mine. It shall save me. A 
great change is coming. 

Angela. 

A great change will come, Robert. Science shall 
serve you. Your faith shall lead you forth. You 
shall be born anew. You shall be well. You shall 
have health. You shall be free. Faith, Robert; 
understanding; knowledge. 

Robert. 

Error looks around wildly. 

The world shall see and know how I have been re- 
stored. 

Error. 

The earth is yours ; you belong to it. Beyond this, 
darkness. 

Doctor. 

By saving me they shall learn to save thousands of 
others. Angela, when I am well and strong again 
the wondrous compounds that gave me life renewed 
shall heal the world. Yes, I shall devote my life to 
new discoveries. This has all come about to prove 
my theories. Angela, you do not understand. 


ACT II] THE SCOFFER 

Error presses close to him. 


97 


There are things in the chemical world you cannot 
conceive; they almost go beyond reason. But we 
have solved them. I have solved them. Ah, they 
are mine to make me whole. They belong to me ; 
they must serve me. 


Angela. 

And if they fail you, Robert, God will not. Have 
faith. By that comes understanding. By under- 
standing comes knowledge; by that, life. 

Error. 

I lose power, I tremble ! 

Looks around. 

Robert. 

Don’t preach, Angela. There is nothing spiritual 
in me. 

Error. 

Where is Sickness? Sleeping? 


Angela. 

Robert, you are bearing the cross, and it is weigh- 
ing you down. But though you bear it until on 


98 THE SCOFFER [act ii 

bended knee you fall, you shall know the truth, and 
the truth shall make you whole. 

Error. 

Where is Disease ? Has it deserted ? 

Robert. 

Cease to preach, Angela, cease to preach. The 
world does not want it. I do not 


In a zvhisper. 
Ah! Ah! 


Error. 


Angela. 

Interrupting him gently. 

It is not so much have you got what the world 
wants, Robert, but have you got what the world 
needs. The world wants what it should not have, 
and has what it should not want. 

I 


Robert. 

The world wants to be practical. It does not want 
to theorize; to speculate with spirit; the unseen; the 
indefinite; the uncertain. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


99 


Angela. 

Mortal mind, carnal mind, says you are sick, dis- 
eased. When you understand divine mind — God — • 
says this is false, you shall be restored. Paul said, 
'^Rather be absent from the carnal mind and present 
with the Spiritual.'’ Jesus said, ''Unless ye be born 
again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." 
You shall be born again, Robert ; you shall call upon 
God, and you shall be present with the spiritual, for 
God is love, God is life; all else is false. 

Error. 

I tremble, I sink! 

Sinks down. 


Robert. 

Angela, if there is a God he is unjust! He has 
struck me down with sickness and disease. Thus 
has He rewarded me for my toil, my labors. An- 
gela, while we talk of God the world is dying, sick, 
sick and diseased. These small theories are help- 
less. The world wants practical things ; to be rid of 
sickness, disease; ah! I am sick. 

Angela. 

Not small theories, Robert; scientific, divine truths. 
So small, they are so colossal in their magnitude 


ICO 


[act II 


raE SCOFFER 

they astound us. They stand out like snow-capped 
peaks arrayed in white-robed purity, pinnacles and 
monuments of truth and good; the highway marks- 
to show us the way; the never-ending way to 
heights of God’s truth. This is the court of divine 
good, which takes sin, sickness and disease and tries 
them before a court of divine justice; finding them 
guilty, sends them to life imprisonment behind the 
walls of native nothingness. 

Doctor. 

I am going to a court of justice, Angela. They are 
waiting for me with all that scientific research has 
gathered together since man began to seek for that 
which nature yields for the search. I shall be well, 
Angela; I shall come for you. 

Error half rises. 

Angela, you will give it all up and come with me ; 
you shall see, you shall understand. 

Angela. 

The gulf is still open wide, Robert. 

Doctor. 

Let it not open wider, Angela. We will fill it up 
with love, and bridge it over with happiness, and 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


lOI 


across it shall patter the feet of children, coming 
into our lives, sweetening it forever. 

Angela. 

Robert, I have chosen my vocation. Your life has 
been, and is, wrapped up in things of the earth, 
earthly. In helping man — though you do not real- 
ize it — to be more helpless. My life has been, and 
is, wrapped up in things of heaven, heavenly. To 
teach my fellow beings the truth of God. To raise 
them out of the dregs of mortal error and bring 
them into understanding and godhood. You bow, 
bend and submit to the voice of bones, flesh and 
blood, Robert, but you shall rise above this. I, 
knowing God is my life, my being, know no other 
law. I know God is love and life eternal. This is 
my birthright. You have no right to take it away 
from me. You cannot. 

Doctor. 

Rising and pushing back his chair. 

Then, Angela, you mean I must follow you? 

Error comes hetziieen them^ nearest the doctor, zmth 
an expression of excitement. 

Angela. 

No man must do that which he does not desire. But 


THE SCOFFER 


102 


[act II 


every man should do that which is right; doing it 
for the sake of good. 


Doctor. 

What is wrong today, tomorrow becomes right. 
And what is considered right tomorrow, may be 
discovered wrong the next day. 

Angela. 

This is our mission on earth to discover, and in find- 
ing, choose between the two. By faith comes un- 
derstanding. By these alone, Robert, can you ever 
understand what I mean. 

Doctor. 

Let us not preach, let us not argue. Let us not 
quarrel. Let us love with humanity, sharing its 
loves and sorrows, sharing its pains, its griefs and 
its joys. Let us live and be free and look on the 
world with a smile. Let us live as we were born, 
tasting the joy of life in the day while it lasts. Let 
nothing stand in our way, it shall be bedded with 
flowers. Till now we have plucked away the thorns. 
Let not religion, superstition, creeds, cults or dog- 
mas be a hateful wall between us. They have al- 
ready separated more of humanity than a kingdom 
of generations could reunite. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


103 


Angela. 

Robert, nothing can ever come between me and that 
which to me is holy, not even your love. Now, you 
love me as other men love other women. You love 
me because I am a woman. Because I could be a 
wife and mother of your children. You do not love 
my mind, my ideal; you do not love my soul. You 
love my outward beauty, but the flowers in the gar- 
den of my soul you allow to wither. When you 
can revive them, then I shall know vou love me. 

Doctor. 

Angela! You sa}^ I do not love you? I come to 
hear you say this ? I, who have given the best with- 
in me to show you, and humanity, my gratitude for 
love and life? You say this? I, who have labored, 
toiled and fought to make you proud of me? I, 
who have, yes, given my life to aid humanity to that 
greatest of all gifts, health? I, who have suffered, 
am suffering now, would be willing to suffer till the 
end, hear you answer thus ? 

Angei.a. 

The chasm is still wide and deep between us. I am 
even now filling my half. You shall fill your half 
and we, together, shall bridge it over with love; 


104 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


such love as only God inspires ; such marriage and 
such children as are sanctioned only by the angels 
of heaven. We shall walk in a path of flowers, rid 
of the thorns which we are plucking away even 
now. You shall be well and strong. You shall 
have health. You shall be, yea, 'even reborn. A 
man as God intended. You shall love me, Robert, 
and you shall know my love for you. When all 
the thorns are plucked away, we shall walk in a 
path of flowers. Sitting beneath the starlit canopy 
of heaven, we shall know that God is. We shall 
know that God is, for He is our life. In Him we 
move and have our being. In God, divine love, we 
shall be one. 

Doctor. 

In a painful, agonized voice. 

Angela, you spiritualize. You lose my meaning. I 
cannot fathom yours. 

Faith. 

Man moves and has his being in God. Only the 
faithful shall have understanding. 

Angela. 

You shall see, Robert, you shall know. By faith 
comes understanding. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


105 


Doctor. 

You will always preach. 

Spiritual-Understanding. 

God is life, truth and love. There is no other life, 
no other truth. Man reflects God. 


Angela. 

Though you suffer, you shall be free. 

Death sinks dozm. 

Doctor. 

Angela, you will always lecture. 

Angela. 

Deserted by earthly things, Robert 

Death. 

Half rising. 

I must away and hold counsel; something happens. 

Doctor. 

Grief stricken^ and interrupting hei% irritated. 

Yes, Angela, most of all, deserted by you. 

The characters disappear from the doctor's side, 
one by one, unobserved. 


io6 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Angela. 

You shall come into your own, you shall claim your 
sonship with the Almighty, you shall know that God 
is eternal life. You shall know and recognize man's 
spiritual being. When you do, you shall under- 
stand God's creation. You shall look away from 
matter to mind. Knowing man reflects God, you 
shall understand life. Knowing life, you shall de- 
stroy death. Departing from deception, you shall 
come into conception. 

Doctor. 

In a hesitating tone, throughout, 

Angela, I go to what I know not. 

Angela. 

You shall know. 


Doctor. 

Not heeding her. 

Be it life or death. 


It shall be life. 


Angela. 


Doctor. 

Melancholy and dejected. 

Be it for better or for worse. 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


107 


Angela. 

It shall be for the better. 

Doctor. 

I will have done 

Angela. 

The will of God 

Doctor. 


My best, Angela. If my reward be 


Angela. 

Life 


Doctor. 

In a weak, suffering tone. 

Death, Angela, ’tis ended. If my reward be life 


Angela. 

You shall know God. 

Doctor. 

I shall be thankful. I shall know that 


Angela. 

God is life, truth, love. 


io8 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Doctor. 

I have not failed, altogether. If I live- 


Angela. 

To know God is love, and life. 


Doctor. 


I shall come- 


Angela. 


Into truth eternal. 


Doctor. 

For you. Ah ! 

Painfully. 

Flesh, bones and blood 


Angela. 


Are error. 


Doctor. 


Rebel, my sickness, disease and pains- 


Angela. 


Are false. 


Doctor. 


Overcome me. I shall come- 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


109 


Angela. 

Into life eternal 

Doctor. 

Though, for you, Angela. I shall yet come — ^ — 

Angela. 

Into divine understanding 

Doctor. 

For you. 

Angela. 

Have faith, Robert. 

Doctor. 

Faith. Angela! Ah! faith, though strong, is un- 
certain. 

Angela. 

Faith, Robert, is the high-arched doorway that 
leads to the chambers of eternal good, where un- 
derstanding sits enthroned. 

Robert. 

Angela, I have no evidence of God. See how I am 
suffering. 


I lO 


THE SCOFFER 


[act II 


Angela. 

Suffering, you shall know God. Khowing God, 
you shall cease to suffer. 


Robert. 

To me, Angela, God is a myth. I have no evidence, 
Angela, no evidence. Let me go to — ^ — 


New life. 


Angela. 


Robert. 

My doom. I know my pain is- 


Unreal. 


Angela. 


Doctor. 

Killing me. I know my disease is 


Angela. 

A false condition. 

Doctor. 

Consuming me. I go, Angela ; they wait for me. 
As he goes to the door. 


ACT II ] 


THE SCOFFER 


III 


To be reborn. 

Angela. 

Trusting. 

Doctor. 

Having faith. 

Angela. 


Doctor. 

All will be well. 

I shall 


Angela. 


Know God is life. 


Doctor. 

Not die, but I shall be well and come 

Angela. 

Into life eternal. 


For you. 


Doctor 


Angela. 

You are going to a court, Robert, and when you 
call to me to plead for you I shall be near. Being 
judged you shall not be condemned. Nothing shall 


THE SCOFFER 


1 12 


[act II 


be impossible to him who has sufficient faith. Ask 
God to help you. 

Kissing him. 

Like a little child on bended knee, ask God. 
Caressing him. 

Doctor. 

Aside, 

Whatever my follies and my sins have been, I cast 
them off forever! 

Looking into her eyes. 

Farewell, Angela, let us not be sentimental. Let 
us not preach. 

In the doorway, 

Angela ! 

Kissing her hands, 

Angela, because I love you, I take courage! 

Exits. 

Angela. 

As she returns to the study table. 

He shall know God, Life ; truth and love shall make 
him whole. Though he doubt, though he disbelieve, 


ACT II] 


THE SCOFFER 


113 

divine love shall destroy this false conception, for 
God is his life. Truly my soul waiteth upon God; 
from him cometh my salvation. He only is my 
rock; he is my defence; my refuge is in God. 

Sitting at the table. 

My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expec- 
tation is from Him. 

Sits in an attitude of prayer and consecration. 
Faith and Spiritual-Understanding kneel on each 
side of her. 

Faith. 

Thus, I, Faith, do begin, though humbly. I am a 
voice crying in the wilderness. I never forsake 
them that desire. 

Spiritual-Understanding. 

And so shall I. Spiritual-Understanding, come, re- 
vealing man's relation to God. For man is one 
with God. 


END OF ACT II. 


ACT III 



PROLOGUE TO ACT III. 


Scene : A dark place before a high, irregular waif 
dripping and steaming. In the center a dull red 
glow penetrates, becoming more faint gradually. 
As the curtain rises. Death moves before the 
glow^ as a low rumble is heard. 


ii8 


PROLOGUE 


[act III 


Death. 

Here I wait with needy preparation. Though I 
fear, I shall not fail. I am certainly supreme. I 
am the ultimate end. 

Sin appears trembling and faltering. 

Sin. 

In a quivering tone. 

Ah ! Ah ! I fail ! I am cast off ! Cast off ! 

Sinks down. 

Death. 

Fah! What, cast off? Fail? 

Sickness appears^ gasping and hissing terribly. 

Sickness. 

By the power of truth asserted, I am averted, I 
am proclaimed unreal. Oh, am I doomed? By 
the power of truth, I am stunned, I am dazed. Re- 
vive me, quick, revive. 

Sinks down. 


Death. 

Fah! Gaping, cowardly thing. 


ACT III] 


PROLOGUE 


II9 


Sickness. 

Half-rising. 

Something averts me. I am nulled. 


Fah! 


Death. 


Disease appears, stooped and crawling. 


Disease. 

I am rebuked as false. I cannot withstand the at- 
tack long. I dissolve ! Replenish, revive me ! Oh, 
power of earth I fail 


Fah! 


Death. 


Error appears pulling out its hair. 


Error. 

You all forsook me. I hung on but lost my strength 
and fell. A white, unlost soul ! Before its blinding 
light I sank. I sink ! I am sinking ! 

Sinks dozvn. 

Death. 

Ah! Eh! Aye! Do I lose my grip? Do I trem- 
ble? 


120 


PROLOGUE 


[act III 


The glozv begins to steam. 

Come all, over earth’s reviving life. There is no 
other life. 

The characters hang over the glozv, nozv steaming 
furiously. 

There is life in this all revivng soul. There is no 
other soul. Oh, no other truth. No other light. 

The characters pout and groan. 

Error. 

Death flew from us. 


Disease. 

Sickness fell down fainting. 


Sickness. 

Disease fell sleeping. 


Sin. 

From far dozm. 

Ah! Ah! 

The sound dies azjvay. 

Death. 

The fainting sop revives. Fah! 

The glozv grozvs fainter and discontinues to steam. 


ACT III] 

PROLOGUE 12 I 

The glow dies ! 

Error. 

t 

Sin. 


With me its life sinks ! 


It grows weak! 

Disease. 


Death. 


As the glozir reddens and steams. 

Come! Faith in white-robed purity argues against 
us. But now the glow revives. See ! There is no 
other life. Ah! how we revive! Come, Spiritual- 
Understanding gains, in our absence the soul of 
heaven glows. 

Sickness. 

What is heaven, then? 


A strong lie. 

Death. 

What is truth? 

Disease. 

■ 

Death. 


Something groping in lost eternity. 


122 


PROLOGUE 


[act III 


What is life? 


Error. 


Death. 


Something divided against itself. 


Man is ours. 


We are man's. 


Sickness. 


Disease. 


Error. 

Man and we are for each other. 

Death. 

We are all one. 


Sin. 

From afar. 

Ah! Ah! 

The sound dies away. 

Error. 

Oh, Sin will yet revive. See her fat limbs tremble. 

Death. 

Come, or we lose! 

The glow becomes faint. 


ACT III] 


PROLOGUE 


123 


Sickness. 

The glow dies out ! 

Disease. 

See! We shall famish! 

Death. 

If it die out we are famished. Come into light and 
it will replenish. Come! 

A low rumble is heard. 

Come ! Ready ? 

Sin. 

Still farther off. 

Ah! Ah! 

A low rumble is heard^ zvhich dies away. 

Our doom is begun. Ah ! Ah ! 

Death. 

Now ! Come away into light ! 

The scene changes immediately to Act III 



ACT III 


Scene : A private ward in a hospital. A spacious 
room with plain bare walls. On the left there is 
a window; to the back an open door. In the rear 
a little to the right an iron bed. At the head of 
which, on the left, there is a table filled with - 
bottles of medicine. On the right there is a 
zvashstand, wardrobe, table and chairs. On either 
side of the bed are rugs. As the curtain rises 
the doctor moves uneasily in his bed. During 
the entire act the door of the ward remains open. 

\ 

Doctor. 

Half rising and throning a small copy of the Bible 
to the foot of the bed. 

Ah, pain, ceaseless pain ! Insufferable agony ! 

Sickness rises up on his right. Disease rises up 
on his left. 

Angela speaks of faith, speaks of God. Where is 

God, to let me suffer so? 

Error rises up behind him. 


I 


126 THE SCOFFER [act hi 

The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. 
Well, there is no God! and I am a fool. Better be 
a fool than dying. Oh, man! 

Half rising. 

Better be dead than sick. Oh, that man should be 
sick to suffer. Oh, that he should suffer to die. 
This is my reward. Here I am at last, given up 
to die. The bony grip of Death tightens ’round me. 

Death rises up behind him. 

Ah! 

Drops back on his pillow, 

I wish it were all ended. 

Exhausted^ and delirious. 

There is no God! No! man is helpless! There is 
no God! No, no God! But they will come soon, 
and there is to be a consultation. I shall be well 
again. They will not give me up. They will know 
what to do. Yes, they will know. Ah, I would 
know if I were among them. But I can’t think. 
Yes, they will come. 

Death. 

This man, educated backwards and wise in his 
folly, hopes to be cured by that which makes him 
sick. 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


127 


Sickness. 

We make him sick. 

Disease. 

Ah! 

Error and Death assent in an amused uncanny tone. 

Doctor. 

The world shall soon see. They shall know. 
Angela will understand. She will see. Angela 
sends me lines to read. 

Half rising and picking ttp some lines, and looking 
at them. 

But what is the use of it all? Hope, faith, under- 
standing, knowledge, God. Yes, and I, dying, 
dying I 

Drops back iipon his pillozv. 

Error. 

To Death. 

I have schooled him well. 

Death. 

Ah! 


128 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


Sickness. 

To Death, 

I sit in his liver, lungs and heart. I have swollen 
his kidneys. 

Death. 

To Error. 

Ah! You have fooled him well. 

Disease. 

To Death. 

I consume him. I have begun fresh cancers. 

Death. 

Ah ! Eh ! Aye ! They burn, they blow, they smart, 
they glow! 

Doctor. 

Angela speaks of God. What doesn't she speak 
about that is all useless ? But, Angela, she is beau- 
tiful. Ah, Angela is beautiful. Angela is peaceful. 
She wants to help me. If she helps me it will be 
because she is beautiful, and she is so good. An- 
gela is a little preacher. How she can lecture me ! 
She says I do not want to understand. The fool 
hath said in his heart there is no God. Angela 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


129 


would not say that. Ah, I am a fool. If I am not 
sick, I am not a fool. God careth for his flock. 
Ah, but I am a lost sheep. 

A nurse enters, 

Angela will come soon. I shall be found. We 
shall not be lost. No, Angela, not lost. Angela 
will know; she knows. She will be the first to 
know. 

Nurse. 

Arranging the bed. 

The doctors are ready to hold the final consul- 
tation. 

Doctor. 

It is final, eh? 

The nurse motions hm to be quiet as she exits. 

Well, let them come; they will find me worse. 

The characters sink down and vanish. 

Four doctors enter and go to the bedside. The 
doctor makes as though to speak to them. They 
examine and consult. William comes to the door 
and is met by a nurse, zvho motions him to be 
silent. William enters unobserved and comes 
forward, as they examine and consult, re-exam- 
ine and re-consult. 


130 THE SCOFFER [act iii 

William. 

After a pause. 

This is the final examination, they told me at the 
office. Let them consult and decide. Let them 
give up in despair if they will. What is despair 
but human error? Sickness and disease are false, 
and they have no place in divine good. God did 
not create them. Being false, they shall be de- 
stroyed. Being denied, they shall disappear. God 
denies them. Divine good casts them out. Now, 
better than any other time, is he fit to come into 
the truth. Now is the accepted time for him to 
realize, to understand. Angela, first of all, can 
help him to this. The tender hands of faith shall 
lead him. Spiritual-Understanding, divine light, 
shall open the way. God shall give him health and 
life. He shall understand. God is life. Knowing 
that he moves and has his being in God, he shall 
pick up his bed and walk. Oh, love divine. Thou 
who art all in all. Thou who art our life, our be- 
ing, plead his cause against Error. Flood his be- 
ing with the light of divine love. Cause him to 
be absent from carnal mind and present with the 
spiritual, thy image. Teach him to know that man 
reflecting God cannot be destroyed. Cause him to 
realize that before Thee there are no other gods; 
that Thou art God. That Thou art life, truth. 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


131 

love. Help me to realize for him the truth of be- 
ing-; that I may help him to know God, divine good, 
ever-present love meet my human need. Though 
they pronounce disease, though they name it, it 
shall be destroyed. It is false, it is a lie, and father 
of the lie. God did not create it. It is not a part 
of divine good. It has no place in life. It is un- 
real. Only God is life. They are the jury that 
decide. Not knowing what life is, they cannot 
preserve it. Believing in sickness, they foster dis- 
ease. But denying it, knowing God, we destroy it, 
and it passes forever into native nothingness. They 
are the judges who condemn. For believing dis- 
ease can kill, they destroy the means by which they 
hope to cure it. But divine love always has met 
and always will meet every human need. 

The doctors cons!dting turn azmy and leave the 
room. 

There they go, with no other knowledge of life 
than flesh, bones and blood. God, be Thou with 
Angela, who pleads in a court of divine justice. 

Doctor. 

Half rising, and in a hopeless tone. 

Gone ! They have forsaken me. They have lost 
courage. Like cowards, they have fled. Thus, 


132 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


heartless, they leave me. Heartless, we leave dogs, 
horses, pigs and other animals to die, not caring! 
There are plenty more. So, they have left me. 
Given me up to chance. 

Looking into space. 

Now, what is left? 

The characters reappear and rise up around him. 

Is there such a thing as nothing? After all, can 
life end in death? It is not so much that I fear 
death as it is that which gathers round it. The 
terror, agony, pain and suffering; all this horror is 
what I fear. Oh, Angela ! If she were here ! 
Angela, where is she now? Yes, Angela will come. 
Loving Angela, I cannot die. Angela is beautiful. 
I have never beheld anything so beautiful. Angela 
is good, and that is her beauty. Sometimes I think 
Angela will 

As he sees William. 

Why, brother, I did not see you. 

William goes to his bedside. 

Oh, I am glad you came. God bless you, brother, 
God bless you. 

The characters sink dozmi, Death last. 


THE SCOFFER 


ACT III] 


133 


The only time I feel relieved is when you come, or 
Angela is with me. 


William. 

Brother Robert, that is the first time you have ever 
blessed me. I have never heard you God-bless any- 
one before. 


Doctor. 

God bless you, anyway, brother. Ah, I suffer ! I 
grow sentimental in my last moments. 

Half rising, 

I am glad you are my brother. I thank God for 
Angela. 

Sinking hack. 

Ah, I suffer, I grow weak, I faint ! 


William. 

Robert, ask God to help you. Ask God to hear you ; 
to show you the truth, to lift the veil that blinds 
you. Brother, let that which came into my life, that 
which has displeased you so, come into yours; open 
the doors to it, and you shall have health. Robert, 
try to understand. 

Robert. 

I have heard you, I have heard Angela, I have read. 


134 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


William. 

But have faith, Robert. Faith is the backbone of 
understanding. Have faith, Robert, and you shall 
understand. This is the crisis, this is the test. You 
cannot fail. 

William takes his hand. The doctor in turn clasps 
his warmly. 

In God’s good there is no failure. No sickness, 
disease nor death. 


Doctor. 

Brother, you turn preacher. But you say wonder- 
ful things. Angela says wonderful things. Angela 
says beautiful things. Angela is beautiful. Brother, 
I am not afraid to die. Why, the body, eighty per 
cent water — yes, that is what it is ; what if we 
dump it into the grave? Well, what of it? What 
if it dissolves into the earth? Should we moan and 
cry and implore to be saved? No, Nature says it 
is natural. If it is part of evolution, then let it 
come. 

AUirses and doctors pass the door zmth a body laid 
out on a wheeling conch. 

William. 

% 

Robert, when the body dissolves, man is not dead. 
Tho’ the body, like the lilies of the fields, passes 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


135 


away — the perfume — soul, shall never cease. Man 
cannot die, having his life and being in God. Have 
faith, be willing to understand, ask God 

The doctor makes as though to speak as a nurse 
enters. 

Oh, all right, nurse. I have stayed too long, brother. 
I was only allowed a few minutes. 

Holding William's right hand and pressing his arm 
gently, the doctor looks up at William, then at 
the arm, puzzled. 

Remember that if we have sufficient faith we can 
raise mountains. With the understanding that fol- 
lows, nothing is impossible to us. Nothing that is 
good. 

The doctor shakes William's arm tenderly, zvith a 
puzzled expression. 

Faith is beautiful. 

The doctor endeaz^ors to realize that the arm is 
healed. 

That is why Angela is beautiful. Good bye, brother. 

I 

As he exits. 

I shall see him come into God’s good. 

The doctor lies back, ptizzled, as William exits. A 
hospital physician enters and seats himself. 


136 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


Doctor. 

To himself. 

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make 
you whole. 

Physician. 

By jove, he doesn’t look bad. 

Doctor. 

To himself. 

What is the truth? 

He looks up and sees the physician. 

Doctor, what would you say if a man were to say 
to you. Medicine is only a speculation, and can 
never be anything else ? 

Physician. 

Well, I believe I should agree with him. 

Doctor. 

You would? 

Physician. 

Yes. Why not? After all, we have no real specific. 
No positive cure. Nothing in medicine we can en- 
tirely depend upon. We haven’t a single positive 
cure. 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


137 


Doctor. 

As though meditating. 

I guess not, after all. I thought we had, but I 
guess not. 

Physician. 

We have come pretty close to it. You have in 
your discoveries. 

Doctor. 

Pretty close, and that is all. Pretty close, is the 
speculation. 

A blatant groan is heard. 

Jove, that was a musical sound, eh. Doc? 

Physician. 

That is a Jap coming out of ether. We cut a tumor 
out of him this morning as big as your head. 

Doctor. 

You think he will pull through? 

Physician. 

Perhaps — on the other side. 

Pointing downward. 

Then he will be near home. 


THE SCOEFER 


[act III 


138 

Doctor. 

Yes, if he doesn’t burn up on the way. 

Physician. 

Ha ! you grow cheerful. 

Doctor. 

We try this, we try that. Always speculating. If 
it helps, very well. 

Physician. 

If it doesn’t help, we are helpless. 

Doctor. 

The world wants and needs something upon which 
it can depend. We cannot go on dying like this. 
Life must be saved. 

Physician. 

It will never get saved in drugs. Drugs are poor 
saviours. 

Doctor. 

What gets sick? What is sickness? What is dis- 
ease? What is life? What dies? What is life? 
What is all this misery? What is it? What? 

I • 

Physician. 

Nothing dies, they say, nothing is lost. 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


139 


Doctor. 

In a puzzled and distressed tone. 

What gets sick ? What is mind ? Doctor, we have 
something new to think about. There has been an 
awakening. Man, mind, life, truth, God 

Physician. 

Ah, too much thinking along that line would rub 
the sign from off my ofhce door. I was not born 
to philosophize. 

Doctor. 

And I shall not live long enough to. What is to 
live? What is to die? 

Physician. 

Ha, take courage. There is yet hope. You might 
mix that with a little faith. If that should bring 
results, don't be offended. 

Doctor. 

Faith ! 

Physician. 

Why not? My old father had such faith, faith in 
God, of course; lying at the point of death, he was 
healed. Medicine did not do it. I can vouch for 


THE SCOFFER 


140 


[act III 


that. The older I grow the more I see that God 
does move in a mysterious way. 

A nurse comes to the door, summoning him. 

We can't afford to scoff. 

As he exits, 

I tell you, we can't. 

Doctor. 

Meditating, 

Man, made in the likeness of God, cannot become 
sick, nor can he become diseased, or die. 

Half rising. 

My brother's arm. 

With a puzzled expression. 

It was broken not a week past. 

As he puzzles about it. Error rises up. 

Ah, it is all too absurd, yet he did not even wince 
when I bore down on it. 

Sinking hack on his pillow. 

Ah, no, too absurd. Absurdity itself. Ah, pain, be 
moderate. 

Sickness and Disease rise up, 

I cannot understand it. I cannot see it. 

Error stoops over him. 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


141 

It is too absurd. I cannot see it. Something veils 
it. I cannot see it, I cannot understand it. Some- 
thing clouds it. What if I did understand, per- 
haps — 

• Closes his eyes. 

Death. 

Rising up. . 

The glow burns low. 

Error. 

He revives, but slow. 

Sickness. 

ril make his fever blow. 

Disease. 

ril make his ulcers flow. 

Death. 

I have dug his grave. 

Doctor. 

In a tearful tone. 

Angela, come to the court of justice, and plead for 
me. 

Opens his eyes. 

They are trying me. They have found me wanting. 
Angela, you said you would come. 


142 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


After a pause, 

Angela enters with a nurse. The nurse looks at her 
watch, then says something and exits. 

Angela. 

Standing near him. 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence 
cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, 
which made heaven and earth. God, divine good, 
proclaims sickness and disease false. They have no 
life, no identity. God did not create them. They 
are the lie, and the father of the lie. They are un- 
true, they have no place in divine good. Being the 
opposite of divine good, being untrue, God destroys 
them. 

The characters sink down. 

For the knowledge of God is life. Let my cry come 
near before thee, oh. Lord! Give me understand- 
ing according to Thy word. Let thine hand help 
me, for I have chosen Thy precepts. 

She kneels beside the Doctor. 

Robert, man reflects God; you reflect God. Know 
this and you will realize that sickness is false. There 
is no death. God is life eternal — God is your life. 

The doctor opens his eyes slowly, looking around. 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


143 


Doctor. 

Angela, I dreamed I saw you pleading for me. Oh, 
Angela, you have come indeed. Angela, I beheld 
you in my dreams. Before now I have beheld you 
in my dreams, sitting, thinking, in prayer conse- 
crated. Angela ! 

Kissing her hands, 

Angela. 

I was thinking of you, thinking for you. I have 
worked for you, oh, so earnestly! How much bet- 
ter you look, Robert ! 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding come near her. 

Faith. 

I, Faith, show the way to desiring hearts. 

Spiritual-Understanding. 

I, Spiritual-Understanding, make clear the way and 
bring knowledge. 

Doctor. 

Better! Better, Angela? I am given up, hopeless. 
You say I look better, I, a dying man? Angela, my 
Angela, you always bring relief. 


144 ) 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


Angela. 

Robert, be willing, be faithful, and you shall un- 
derstand. 

Doctor. 

Faith, faith! What is faith, Angela, but a kind of 
self-mesmerism? Belief, perhaps, in something 
that may or may not be a reality ? 

Angela. 

Faith, Robert, is that high ladder that reaches to 
God’s glory, the top-most rung divine understand- 
ing. And that, truth and life eternal. 

Doctor. 

Angela ! If faith makes one like you, I want faith. 

Angela. 

Mortal, carnal mind, has said that you are sick; 
that you are diseased; that you shall die. This 
has been denied, destroyed, Robert. 

Doctor. 

Carnal mind ; mortal — Angela, what is mortal 
mind? 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


H5 


Angela. 

The opposite of divine mind. It is an untruth; the 
opposite of truth. It is a belief in sickness, 

The sunlight floods through the zmndow. 

disease and death. Carnal, mortal mind, makes 
man sick and teaches him to believe he shall die. 
Divine mind is its only cure. This identifies man 
with God and teaches him man reflecting God can 
never die. Know that in divine-mind, divine-love — 
God, sickness cannot kill you. That they are un- 
real, false; knowing this, you shall pick up your 
bed and walk. 

Error, Sickness and Disease slink azmy, gradually, 
unobserved. 

Sickness and disease have no power over you; not 
even death, for God has denied them. Ask God 
to reveal it to you. Revelations are today as in 
former times. Miracles have not left the earth. 
If you have faith you shall, asking God, know. In 
God you have your being, your life. In God — life, 
truth, love — error, sickness and death have no place. 
Be free from carnal mind and present with the spir- 
itual ; for God is your life’ nothing can take it from 
you. 

A nurse enters. 


146 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


I have overstayed my time, Robert. 

Rising, 

I leave you in the hands of God. 

The two characters near her disappear. 

Being willing, you shall know the truth, and the 
truth shall make you whole. 

Kisses him tenderly. 

Reflecting God, life and health belong to you. 

As she exits, he makes as though to speak. 

Doctor. 

Meditating, 

Faith. Faith; was it sugar pills that cured poor 
Mrs. Keith? She, daily, came for sugar pills. Sugar 
pills never cured anything. How could they? Why 
did she want them? They could not help her. 
What helped her, then? Her faith? Her faith, not 
the sugar, helped her. A simple faith. But faith, 
surely. Faith, faith, faith ! 

He meditates, with an endeavor to understand. 

Sickness and disease and death are false. They 
are the lie and the father of the lie. 

Sits up in the bed. 

Faith! Ah, yes, faith. Why should I not have 
faith ? I had faith in that which has deserted me. 


THE SCOFFER 


ACT III] 


147 


God is my life, then let me have faith that I may 
have life. Faith is beautiful, like Angela. 

With a puzzled expression. 

My brother's arm, it was healed. Yes, surely, it 
was healed. Could it have been a miracle ? A mir- 
acle in this late day? A miracle is but the demon- 
stration of life over matter, after all. 

Picking up a sheet of paper, reading it. 

'Tf man died at the grave, he would, in time, be- 
come annihilated; therefore, man reflecting God, is 
eternal." Christ said, Angela quotes : ^‘Them that 
believe in me and the things I do, they shall do 
them, also." Oh, can it be that I am other than 
sick, diseased, or on my death bed? My brother's 
arm — Angela. ^Hhey that believe on me and the 
things which I do, they shall do them, also." A 
miracle. 

Reading. 

'^Christ was the son of truth, of God." It becomes 
—I 

As though a mist zvere before him. 

Oh, I want to be well, I want life again. Though 
on bended knee you ask God, you shall know the 
truth, and the truth shall make you whole. 


THE SCOFFER 



[act III 


Faith appears^ taking his hand as he rises to his 
knees. 

Let me, as a little child, ask God. Give me strength, 
oh, God, give me strength ! 

Firmly on his knees. 

God, who art in heaven. 

Confused and endeavoring to collect his thoughts. 

I can’t remember. How shall I say? Like the 
psalmist, let me begin. Oh, thou who hearest 
prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities 
prevail against me. Make haste to help me, O 
Lord ! Judge me, O God, and plead my cause 
against error. Oh, deliver me from sickness and 
disease. 

Beginning again, more firmly. 

God hear me, like a little child, on my bended 
knees. Give me understanding. See me, God, 
humble before Thee. 

Weeping as he continues. 


God, Thou who art love. Thou who art life eternal, 
give me life. In Thy divine understanding, hear 
me. God, I know Thou art God. Thou hast made 
me humble. Hear me, God, Thou who art my life. 
I know Thou art God. Thou hast taught me to 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


149 


say it. In Thee, oh God, do I move and have my 
being. Before now were my ears deaf. Until now 
my tongue was dumb. Thou hast raised me tO' my 
knees. Oh, God, raise me to my feet also ! Raise 
me up, oh God of love divine, for Thou art life 
eternal. Let me be lifted from darkness into light. 
I was lost in the world’s delights. Lost in a world 
that acknowledges other gods before Thee ; but now 
am I brought before Thee, oh, God! This is the 
accepted time. This has it taken to humble me. 
This, oh, God, to make me know Thou art. God, 
fill me with life and love, make me Thy servant. 
Oh, God, Thou who art my God! Thou art my 
life. All else is false. All else is untrue. In Thee, 
oh. Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put 
to confusion. Deliver me unto Thy righteousness, 
and cause me to escape; incline Thine ear unto me, 
and save me. The veil is lifted. My ears are un- 
stopped. My tongue loose to acknowledge Thee. 

IV eeps as he settles back on his pillow. A vision 
appears in the rear^ shozving Angela seated at 
her study table in an attitude of consecration and 
prayer. 

Oh, how I revive ! The mist clears away. 

Spiritual-Understanding appears and takes his other 
hand. 


ISO THE SCOFFER [act iii 

The truth has been revealed, and the truth shall 
make me whole. 

Moving to the edge of the bed. 

The vision of Angela disappears. 

Angela, I saw you. Angela, if angels dwell on 
earth, I have seen an angel. 

After a pause. 

Let me make certain I do not dream. Yes, I real- 
ize, I know God is. I lose my sense of darkness, 
earthly terror. A rainbow of light I see that floods 
upon me. Realization, new-born, dawns upon me. 

After a pause. 

I comprehend new meanings. Not as with my eyes 
I see, but with my mind. Not as with my ears I 
hear, but with my soul. 

As if coming to himself. 

Oh, what have I done? Have I been away from 
here? No, here where I was suffering. But now I 
have acknowledged God, my Maker, my Life. Out 
of error, into truth. Out of darkness, into light, 
forever light. Angela, your godly little sermons 
come back to me. Your consecrated pleadings are 
made plain. Here in a holy moment has the dawn 


ACT III] 


THE SCOFFER 


151 

of truth flooded my soul with the light of a never- 
setting sun. '‘You shall know the truth, and the 
truth shall make you whole.’’ Angela, God sent 
you to teach me that. God raises me from a bed 
of sickness. 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding assist him. 
Rising to his feet. 

Thus do I pick up my bed and walk. 

Death rises and totters^ then disappears. 

Teach me, oh, God, Thy love divine. 

Taking a robe from the foot of the bed and putting 
it on. 

Never before did I humble myself to call on Thee, 

Faith and Spiritual-Understanding stand on each 
side of him. 

to ask of Thee. But now I cry aloud to Thee, filled 
with gratitude and thanksgiving. 

Doctors and nurses come to the door, making mo- 
tions of despair they close the door and go away. 

Them that believe in me and the things which I do, 
they shall do them also. God is life and love. Sin, 
sickness and death are false. God is life eternal. 
From darkness into light. 


152 


THE SCOFFER 


[act III 


Eaith. 

\ 

Laying her hand on his head. 

Be ye therefore perfect even as your father which 
is in Heaven is perfect. 

Drops on his knees humbly, 

Spiritual-Understanding goes behind him, 

Spiritual-Understanding. 

Laying her hand on his head. 

The kingdom of God is within you. God is your 
life. 

The curtain falls ^ slozvly. 


I 


ACT IV 



I 


V 


' } 


\ 


i 


I 


✓ 


/ 




PROLOGUE TO ACT IV. 


Scene : A dark pit. In the center a pale red glozv 
penetrates dimly. As the curtain rises the faint 
voice of Sin is heard from the darkness. Indis- 
tinct mumblings are heard as Death approaches. 


PROLOGUE 


[act IV 



Death. 

Agonized, 

Ah! Eh! Aye! I totter, I fall. Ah! 

In an uncanny tone of voice. 

What ! My sceptre broken ! My throne destroyed. 
Ah! Eh! Aye! What doom befalls me! 

Staggers toward the glow. 

See ! The glow wanes. It wanes, it dies. I am 
dethroned ! dethroned ! As I plodded forward I 
tripped over the dissolved form of Error; Sin 
screaming to me from lost eternity. Something 
new-born triumphs. I fail, I cease! Coming for- 
ward, Sickness, gasping the last time, bit me, as I 
slipped in the convulsions of Disease. Some truth 
revived overpowers me. Some lost soul escaped be- 
trayed me. Man, my rich fee, my heritage, lives. 
Ah ! Eh ! Aye ! 

Groping before the glow which becomes more dim^ 
gradually. 

Oh, earthly power revive, oh soul! Oh, life revive! 
There is no other soul, no other life ! Man lives ! 
Me and mine he has found out! Ah! Eh! Aye! 
They call us false, the lie they call us ! 


ACT IV] 


PROLOGUE 


157 


A Voice. 

From the distance. 

Grave, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy 
sting? 

Death. 

In a terrorized voice. 

Ah ! I sink, I dissolve ! Lost souls revive, escape 
me! With power denied, I am defied! 

A Voice. 

From the distance. 

The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

Death. 

Ah! 

A low rumble is heard dying azvay with indistinct 
moans. 

Ah ! Man realizing that man's acquittal of error is 
man's forgiveness, destroys me ! I dissolve, I sink, 
I cease ! The glow dies ! 

The glozv becomes very faint and then goes out, 
leaving the pit black. 

I sink! 

In a smothered tone. 

I dissolve — I 


158 


PROLOGUE 


[act IV 


A Voice. 

From the distance. 

Death is swallowed up in victory! 

Death. 

From below. 

Ah! Eh! 

Dying away. 

Aye ! 

A Voice. 

Into light, forever light. 

The scene changes at once to Act IV. 


ACT IV 


Scene: A sitting room in the house of Angela, 
opening through an arch to a balcony covered 
with vines and flowers. In the rear a garden of 
flowers and trees. Beyond this, a sloping valley. 
The room is furnished with taste, but not elab- 
orate. On the balcony there is a settee with 
cushions and pillows. On the right center of the 
room there is a double door. In the rear to the 
right a door. On the left of the room to the rear 
a door. As the curtain rises a maid arranges the 
cushions and pillows on the settee, pushing it 
forward under the arch. As the door bell rings, 
the maid exits. Mary crosses slowly from the 
right looking over some papers and exits through 
the door on the left. Voices are heard from the 
room on the right as William and Freeman enter. 


William. 

As for old age, or age at all, Freeman, we must 
learn not to measure our existence by the earth’s 
revolutions, but know that Time, as Life, is a fixed 
principle; not knowing a beginning, it will not 


THE SCOFFER 


i6o 


[act IV 


know an end. In truth, life has no limitation. 
Limitation in life would not be truth. 

Freeman. 

That proves then, that as a man thinks, a man is? 

William. 

It does. Just suppose for a moment that the world's 
talk and thinking about sickness and disease and 
death, were reversed. Instead of talking sickness 
and disease, humanity would talk health. Instead 
of thinking and believing that we die we would 
know that our life is eternal. Not knowing sick- 
ness or disease, we would not say when we meet 
each other, '^How badly you look." Not knowing 
death we would not fear dying. Why, humanity 
free from the thoughts of error, sin, sickness, dis- 
ease and death, would be already saved. Now this 
is what we are striving to rid the world of. Our 
organization teaches that every time you take a 
dose of medicine you deny God's power to heal you. 


Freeman. 

To prove all this, will take ages. 

William. 

These are the stages; faith, understanding, knowl- 
edge. It is a lack of the knowledge of our 
true being which prevents knowing. Fearing error 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 


i6i 


fosters evil. Therefore, knowing our relationship 

to God, our life, is our only salvation. We are 

aiding the world to rid itself of the misconception 

that God is a god of vengeance, a wrathful god. 

To help the world of humanity to know that God 

is life, truth, love; ’God could not be less; he 

need not be more; that God cannot both be good 

> 

and evil, any more than day and night can both be 
present at the same time. God does not know evil, 
but the understanding of God destroys evil. This 
is what Angela is causing Robert to understand; 
and this understanding will heal him. This is the 
understanding that has brought me out of darkness 
into light — it is the cause of this miracle. 

Pointing to his arm. 

If this then is our purpose to our fellow beings, we 
should rather be praised than centured. 

Freeman. 

Well, it might be so, William, and as for your arm, 
which surely seems healed; well, I wouldn’t tell 
people about it. You know, it almost seems un- 
canny. This theory you folks 

William. 

Interrupting him. 

Science, Freeman, that cannot be denied. That 
can be proven. A demonstrable science, proven 


THE SCOFFER 


[act IV 


162 

with as much certainty as mathematics. You see, in 
these days of invention and discovery one cannot 
afford to scoff at anything. Especially when things 
are proven before our very eyes. No man scoffs 
who knows. 


Freeman. 

Well, call it what you will. After all 

Taking a cigar out of his pocket and smelling it, 

a good cigar smokes as well tho’ call’d by another 
name. 


William. 

O, that was a distorted plagiarism ; oh, poor Shake- 
speare ! 

Freeman. 

But, really, William, if we had not grown up to- 
gether and I did not know you to be what you are, 
I should not even believe you were longer sane. 
Jings, I tell you it has set me thinking. I am going 
to read what you have given me. You know when 
I begin to read I begin to think, don’t you? And 
when I begin to think — say, doesn’t something 
come of it? Somehow I have never been inter- 
ested in religion. Not after what I heard the 
Doctor once say. 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 



William. 

Brother has always been a scoffer. But even now, 
that condition has been changed, and is being 
destroyed. 

Freeman. 

This is what he said : ''Religion is sentiment ; a be- 
lief in something unseen — unheard, and never felt; 
and creeds are the opinions of men — pathways of 
dissention and discord/’ Somehow I have be- 
lieved him, the more he scoffed the more I be- 
lieved him. But, lately I have begun to think and 
to believe for myself. Well, 

As he takes up his hat and gloves, 

I cannot wish you any better luck than you have 
had. ril call on your brother — I guess it will not 
be "Doctor” Lincoln any more now — and if I find 
him as you say — well, if there is any faith in me 
that will bring it out. 

William. 

You will find him a changed man. We hold that it 
is easier to heal the sick than to save the sinful. 
For people sin wilfully, but they do not become sick 
wilfully, nor remain so wilfully. The demonstra- 
tion with my arm was the turning point with 


THE SCOFFER 



[act IV 


Brother Robert. After that, Angela's demonstra- 
tion became easier and a certainty. 


Freeman. 

Really, it is a long feather in the cap of science. 
Think of it, a science being divine. Tell me, how 
do you cause demonstrations? How does Angela, 
for instance, bring about miracles — if there are 
such things? 

William. 

It is done by the knowledge of man's relation to 
God. By knowing what God is. By disputing evil ; 
by denying error, sickness, disease; by knowing 
these are false and that only God is true — is truth. 
By affirming a greater power over a lesser one. 
Angela, devoted and consecrated and understanding 
God, has, thru' divine understanding, destroyed 
error that was consuming brother Robert. Remem- 
ber, to deny evil by the understanding of God is 
to destroy it. Brother had faith, and this was the 
first step he made toward God. 


Freeman. 

Here is my hand on it, I shan't doubt. I can hardly 
wait till I see him. Good-bye for the last time. 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 


165 

William. 

As Freeman exits. 

Good-bye — let success wait upon hard work. 

Freeman. 

Oh, talk about a plagiarism, a distortion ! 

Exits. 

William. 

I am glad he has changed. He seems more con- 
tented than before. 

Angela and Mary enter from the room on the left 
conversing and exchanging letters as they fold 
them. 

Angela. 

Extending her hand to William as she comes for- 
ward. 

Good morning, William. 

William. 

Good morning, Angela. 

Bows to Mary as she passes. 

Angela. 

And now we have a new Robert, come into his 
own. Into the kingdom of divine love, of good, 
which is God, man’s birthright, his heritage. 


THE SCOFFER 


[act IV 


1 66 


William. 

It almost goes beyond reason to think so great a 
wonder could be brought about. By the side of 
brother’s my demonstration seems a trifle. When 
Robert began to show a desire for help, then I knew 
he would continue by gaining faith; and fiinally 
understanding. 

Angela. 

William, desire is the stepping-stone, faith the key, 
and knowledge the door which leads to the king- 
dom of understanding. 

William. 

What a triumph ! What a demonstration ! A mira- 
cle! God’s truth; indeed, restored. Restored to the 
willing, the faithful. Oh, let me ever be firm, faith- 
ful and constant. Think what credit is due you, 
Angela. How you worked for him. How your 
unfailing efforts wrought wonders. Heaven itself 
seemed open to you. 

Angela. 

We must not lose ourselves in personalities, Will- 
iam. There is only one personality, and that is 
God. God heals. God brings man into under- 
standing and truth eternal. Without God we are 
helpless. God is our life. 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 


167 


William. 

Yes, it is God, not man. Oh, my brother! God 
was his restoration. 

Taking up his hat as he goes to the door, 

I must run along. I have many details to attend 
to for brother. There will be a good many things 
for sale. He will be down soon. He left the hos- 
pital yesterday. Before they would let him go they 
had taken his temperature twenty times. Even 
they thought him delirious. They were a disap- 
pointed lot. I think they figured on his funeral. 

Angela. 

He 'phoned this morning and in a musical voice 

William. 

He called you dear — I heard him. 

Angela. 

William, it is time you were going. 

William. 

Good-bye, Angela, my sister that was, and my sis- 
ter that shall be. 

Angela. 

Good-bye. Tomorrow you take dinner with Robert 
and myself. 


THE SCOFFER 


[act IV 


i68 


William. 

A dinner at which we will break the bread of life 
and eat in remembrance. At last it has come. Love 
bringing life, and love. 

^As he exits. 


Bless Angela. Good-bye. 

Exits, 

Angela. 

Youth in its glory, directed, protected and blessed. 

Goes to the table, picks up a letter which she glances 
over. 

Yes, 

Laying the letter down again. 

my dear, you begin to realize. For hope is the 
forerunner of faith, through which door enters 
easiest, understanding. Bless the Lord, O my soul ; 
and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless 
the Lord, O, my soul, who healeth all diseases, who 
redeemeth my life from destruction. 

Seats herself at the table in an attitude of consecra- 
tion. Faith and Spiritual-Understanding appear 
and kneel on her right and left, Mary crosses 
from the right to the left, looking over letters. 


ACT IV] THE SCOFFER 169 

Mary. 

As she pauses in front of the arch. 

There is a peace and calm here I have never before 
felt. Never before have I breathed such perfect 
health. Indeed, she pleads in a court of divine 
justice. It is a constant holy communion of godly 
thinking. Divine thoughts, like ministering angels, 
making the well happy, healing the sick; yes, even 
raising the dead from their beds. Father, poor 
suffering Father! Even now, with open ears and 
willing heart, he, too, shall be healed. God, be with 
my Father. 

Exits. 

c 

A maid enters from the door on the right and goes 
to the door in the rear. As she exits into the 
half she leaves the door open. A few seconds 
later Dr. Lincoln enters. His appearance shows 
perfect health. The maid takes his hat, gloves 
and cane. He motions to her that he will wait. 
The maid exits. 

Doctor. 

To himself as he comes in front of the arch. 

Angela, a woman fashioned after God's desire. 
Who is more fit than woman to teach us God, to 
bring us into the kingdom of good. Inspired and 


170 


THE SCOFFER 


[act IV 

directed by divine love, she lives in holy consecra- 
tion forgetting self and in Christian purity mindful 
of others. Were the world blessed with more such 
as she, man would stand on the right hand of God, 
the kingdom of heaven already come. When Jesus 
shall come again, such a woman shall be his mother. 
Here I stand forgiven, and free from the bondage 
of error. Here I stand, come into my own, re- 
born, where once I stood sick and diseased, scorn- 
ful and scoffing. Now I stand here come into the 
understanding of God, healed by blessed truth. 
Though I stood in the valley of the shadow of 
death, my path was directed up into the mountains 
of eternal life. Unto Thee, O, Lord, do I lift up 
my soul. For divine love always has met and al- 
ways will meet every human need. 

Goes out on the balcony where he stands. Mary 
re-enters from the left and crosses to the right. 
Seeing the Doctor she turns to Angela as she 
rises from the table. 


Mary. 

Mr. Lincoln is waiting on the balcony. 

Exits. 

The Doctor comes forzmrd, as Angela goes tozvard 
him zvith extended hands. 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 


Doctor. 


171 


Grasping her hands, 

Angela ! 

Looks into her eyes, then kisses her on the forehead, 

Angela, whom God sent to me. This morning, 
Angela, when I rose from my bed I looked out 
through an open window into the deep blue 
of the universe and realized that all my life 
I had been hanging blessed Jesus the Christ 
upon the cross until that day when I heard 
His voice say: ‘"Forgive them for they know 
not what they do.’’ It was my ignorance, no 
greater curse could hinder man. It was my wilful 
blindness, the black pit of Error. It was my stub- 
born pride, a barrier that stood in my way. But 
now the wheat from the chaff has been sifted. 
Man’s health is man’s wealth. God’s claim shall 
be man’s fame. Think of the millions who err as I 
had erred. Think of the millions who worship at 
the feet of folly. Think of man believing in sick- 
ness, disease and death. Defiled in mind we be- 
come reviled in body. We tempt the lion. We 
play with fire. We blow out the light and walk in 
darkness. As the meanness of others makes it more 
difficult for us to be good, so in turn the belief of 


THE SCOFFER 


172 


[act IV 


others in the reality of sickness and disease makes 
health to seem delusive. 

Angela. 

And, therefore, we shall say, where bliss is ignor- 
ance his better to be wise. For if the blind shall 
lead the blind they will both fall into the pit. 


Doctor. 

Becoming a comrade with error, we associate with 
sin. When we are ripe in our infamy we fall into 
the arms of sickness, who in turn hands us over to 
disease. 

Angela. 

These in turn when placed before divine love are 
destroyed as the portals of truth are parted, admit- 
ting God. 



Doctor. 

Thank God for divine love, blessed truth and life. 

Angela. 

All that which is unlike God shall be annihilated. 


Doctor. 

The work of annihilation has begun, and God’s truth 
upon the throne of glory is within the reach of all. 
Where the will is, there the way is. Think of 
humanity wilfully steeped in antagonism, hate, re- 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER- 


173 


venge, cunning; taking advantage of each other — 
looking away from that which gives us life to that 
which can only gives us death. Angela, now I 
realize that it is a sin to be sick. 

Angela. 

Because sickness is the result of sin 

Doctor. 

But it is a greater sin to believe in sickness 

Angela. 

Because the belief in sickness causes disease. 

Doctor. 

Indeed, Angela, and the unholiest condition that 
can come to humanity is that it should go to the 
grave in a sick and diseased condition. Think of it, 
humanity consuming tobacco, fit only for loathsome 
worms ; think of humanity drinking alcohol, fit 
only for the thirst of snakes; think of our nation 
reaping a rich revenue of these; 'tis little wonder 
that error is not more colossal. We can never hope 
to annihilate these until the desire for them is de- 
stroyed. Here is work for a nation; for humanity. 

Angela. 

Robert, it all has been revealed to you by love di- 
vine. The nothingness of error has been uncovered. 


174 


THE SCOFFER 


[act IV 


and, with the eye of godly understanding, you be- 
hold it a naked untruth. God in the garden of 
truth is calling. As man shall heed so shall he 
weed, until the petals of sin are replaced by the 
blossoms of love. In proportion as we lose our 
sense of error and gain the knowledge and under- 
standing of God shall we ascend the heaven- 
adorned path of life eternal. 

Doctor. 

And then can we say with Paul, Neither death nor 
life ^ things present, nor things to 

come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature 
shall be able to separate us from the love of God. 

Angela. 

Indeed, for, if God be for us who can be against 
us? Truth has no consciousness of error; love no 
sense of hatred, and life has no partnership with 
death. 

Doctor. 

And, therefore, I can say with Paul, the law of 
the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death. 

Angela. 

Robert, you have heard the still small voice crying 
in the wilderness. Having heard, you have heeded. 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 


^75 


Doctor. 

The voice, though small, cries aloud. The voice, 
though still, is heard upon the high mountains of 
desire. 

Angela. 

They sought to kill Christ, truth, when they hung 
Jesus upon the cross, but Christ lives; truth cannot 
be destroyed. Remember, error is self-destructive. 
But today, as in former times, Christ is crucified 
daily. But crucifying shall cease. Man shall know 
the truth, and the truth shall make him whole. The 
voice crying in the wilderness is ever-present love ; 
God. 

Doctor. 

Oh, faithless, erring man, come out of the shadow 
of darkness into the sun of eternal light. Lay 
down your burden before it lay you down. Seek 
and ye shall find. Before you are lost, be found. 
Angela, my wilful erring was the cross upon which 
I was being crucified, and this crucifixion was the 
refiner’s fire. But the grave, it has no sting, and 
death is robbed of victory. 

Angela. 

We stand upon the threshold of good, just entering 
the mansion of love. 


176 


[act IV 


THE SCOFFER 
Doctor. 

He takes a ring from his vest pocket and places it 
on her hand, 

God’s blessing is life, God’s reward is love. The 
earth’s sanction is marriage, the angels sealing it 
with the signet of eternal union. 

Angela. 

And so you shall claim me in this hour of triumph. 

Doctor. 

Ever before me in my dreams, Angela, you shall 
ever be before me in my wakeful hours. 

Angela. 

Ever in my thoughts, Robert, you shall be ever in 
the love chambers of my soul, for there I have a 
throne for you. 

Robert. 

And seated beside me you, my queen, adorned in 
white, the mantle of heaven’s purity. Your crown 
shall be truth jeweled with holy thoughts, our 
scepter, divine good, our kingdom, love. Oh, An- 
gela, let me be certain I do not dream. If it is a 
dream, though, it is holy, and, being holy, it shall 
be everlasting. Now I am ready to pass through 


ACT IV] 


THE SCOFFER 


177 

the golden gate of a new life, ascending the steps 
of love, bearing the message of God. 

Angela. 

Become a fisher of men by the sea of sin, catching 
them up out of the billows of wrong, bringing them 
to the shores of truth. 

Robert. 

Being grateful, this shall be my gratitude fulfilled. 

Angela. 

Become a good shepherd, directing your flock from 
the hills of error and the valleys of sickness out into 
the sunshine of good, beside the waters of everlast- 
ing life. God is our refuge and strength, a very 
present help in trouble; therefore, will we not fear. 

Doctor. 

Yes, out of bondage I claim my sonship with God. 
I confess my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I acknowledge 
my God, who is my life. 

They go on the balcony and seat themselves. Faith 
and Spiritual - Understanding appear on their 
right and left. 

Unto Thee, O Lord, lift I up mine eyes, O Thou 
that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of 
the servants look unto their master 


178 


[act IV 


THE SCOFFER 
Angela. 

And as the eyes of a maiden unto her mistress; so 
our eyes wait upon the Lord, our God. 

Doctor. 

Now, Angela, your words fill my ears with music. 
A vision appears in the rear, showing Life, Truth, 
Love, 

I 

We shall sit beneath the starlit canopy of heaven 
and know that God is, for He is our life. In Him 
we move and have our being. In God, divine love, 
we shall be one. 

A second vision appears behind and above the first, 
showing Loves spiritual thoughts. Children, 

I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice 
and my supplication. 

Angela. 

Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore 
I will call upon him as long as I live. 

A third vision appears, behind and above the sec- 
ond, showing God's ideas and reflection, Man. 

Doctor. 

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my 
fortress, my God; in Him will I trust. 


ACT IV] THE SCOFFER 179 

Angela. 

For he shall give His angels charge over thee, to 
keep thee in all thy ways. 

The curtain falls slowly, 

END. 



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